Thousands of people joined the mass ranks of Shetland’s Up Hely Aa Vikings for a torchlight procession that signals the start of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.

Around 8,000 torchbearers created a river of fire through streets of the capital on Wednesday, winding their way from the George IV Bridge to Calton Hill.

The annual event has is usually free and unticketed, but due to its popularity Hogmanay organisers said that access to Calton Hill will be exclusively for torchbearers and their accompanying friends and family.