With its heady brew of drums, fire, theatre and pagan ritual on the top of Calton Hill, the Beltane Fire Festival, celebrating the arrival of Summer, is one of the most exuberant events in Edinburgh's calendar. But what's it all about?

What's your name?

Please just refer to me as a Drummer. Beltane is bigger than any individual, so we prefer to be called by our character names in publicity.

How did you get involved with Beltane and what's the festival mean for you?

Like many of the participants, I first got involved as a spectator. I heard a vague rumour about an amazing festival on Calton Hill so I wandered up with a drum and a few friends to check it out. I caught a bit of the procession and then hooked up with some other drummers and when I stopped it was dawn and I hadn't yet touched the alcohol in my bag. The sheer energy of the event, even on the periphery, blew me away and I knew that I had to get more involved.