An Edinburgh landmark is to be sealed off because of fears that an unofficial pagan fire festival could pose a serious threat to public safety.
In a rare move, the City of Edinburgh Council, concerned that hundreds will make a spiritual pilgrimage to Calton Hill tomorrow night after the cancellation last month of the traditional Beltane Festival, is to prevent access to the hilltop for 12 hours.
Announcing the 6pm closure, Herbert Coutts, director of culture and leisure, said the local authority regretted the inconvenience to the public, but maintained the measure was being taken "in the interest of public safety".
Mr Coutts, who gave no details about how the area would be closed off other than to say the local authority had been liaising with the police, said yesterday: "After a good deal of internal agonising, we have decided to take this action.
"It is not something we do regularly or eagerly. He added that Calton Hill, part of a World Heritage Site, had no lighting and said: "There have been accidents in the past and these have been when there has been stewarding, so we are very concerned about public safety if there is an attempt to have an unsupervised event. Anything could happen."
Councillors had previously voiced concern that the recent spell of dry weather could turn the beauty spot, with its historic monuments, into a "tinder box".
The Beltane Festival, which is famous for its spectacular fire-juggling acts and fire displays in front of crowds of up to 15,000, was cancelled last month.
Organisers of the event, which attracts people from all over the UK and abroad have accused the council of "deliberate sabotage" and have claimed that strict conditions and "bureaucratic" demands were responsible for it being called off.
A spokeswoman for the council said that, during the closure, additional security would operate and the police would be available to provide assistance as required.
It is understood that an official Beltane event is planned for a nightclub on nearby Calton Road for performers who would normally congregate on Calton Hill for the Beltane event.