The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
A passion for a centuries-old tradition will see thousands of people descend on a small Moray village to celebrate the old Scottish New Year, writes
The villagers of Burghead in Moray are about to party like it’s 2019... Each year they celebrate New Year in their own, distinct and traditional way with the Burning of the Clavie on January 11.
This celebration, which has roots going back centuries and is believed to bring good luck for the coming year, sees a blazing clavie – a barrel filled with wood shavings and tar, nailed to a large post – carried through the village by a group of strapping lads, known as the Clavie Crew, led by Clavie King Dan Ralph.
Lifting a burning barrel is no easy task. But 70-year-old Dan, a funeral director and joiner, has his own, unique way of staying strong...
“I’ve been digging drains recently, that keeps you pretty fit,” he joked.
“The barrel, which is pronounced clay-vee – an awful lot of folk get that wrong – weighs around twoand-a-half hundredweight, about 2530kg at the start when it is first lit and pretty heavy.
“I let others carry it at the first stage as it is a fair physical challenge.”
Dan, who can trace his Burghead roots back to the 16th Century, has been “king” since 1988, and will be supported by his sons Danny and Lachie plus a host of long-established Burghead families.
“I’ll be king until I expire,” Dan, a grandfather of 11. said
“I believe the role doesn’t pass on to someone else until I’m in the next world.”
“It’s something I really enjoy look forward to each year.
“It has become really popular and draws thousands of spectators which isn’t without its problems as there’s safety issues and crowd control to be dealt with, but it’s great that people like to come and see something that’s real.
“We don’t do this quite the reverse.
“We’re doing it to honour our ancestors and keep the tradition alive.”
The significance of it dates back to the 1750s, when the Gregorian calendar was introduced.
While others went along with the change of dates, the folk of Burghead decided to stick with the previous Julian, so celebrate New Year twice – on January 1 and January 11.
At one time, Clavies were widespread and, depending on weather conditions, you could see – for the and visitors them burning along the coast, up to Ross and Cromarty.
All changed dates when Pope Gregory introduced the new calendar, but the folk from Burghead were resistant to change, so stuck with the Julian calendar.
Dan is on record as saying that if the Burghead folk hadn’t been so stubborn or determined, the tradition of burning the Clavie might have been gone by now.
Other traditions that must be followed including using the same nail to nail the barrel to the post each time.
“The nail used is smiddy-made and carefully guarded at the end of each year,” said Dan.
The Clavie begins its journey at Old Manse Dyke and travels around the harbour and village in a clockwise direction, a route which has been handed down over the years, and which also follows the route of the sun rising and setting on the village.
The ritual will begin on right Dunbar Street at exactly
Friday January 11.
After stopping at various houses en route to present a smouldering ember of the Clavie in the doorway, the procession then makes its way to a stone altar of an old fort on 6pm tomorrow, ancient Doorie Hill. There, it is set down while the crew work hard to add more fuel until the dark skies above Burghead are lit up with a beacon from the fire – and the New Year party can really begin.