Wick's traditional Hogmanay bonfire called off amid Covid-19 concerns
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Wick's traditional Hogmanay bonfire has become the latest casualty of Covid-19 restrictions.
It means the community event at the town's Bignold Park will be cancelled for the second year in a row.
Organiser Mervyn Hill said it had been a difficult decision but he felt that he and his team of helpers had a duty of care to the public.
As a consequence, he has been left with a collection of between 60 and 70 large wooden pallets that would have been set ablaze.
Mr Hill, who runs the Nethercliffe Hotel in Wick with his wife Helen, pointed out that other New Year events around the country have also been scrapped following the rise in cases of the virus and warnings about the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week announced a new set of measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus, including a limit of 500 at all outdoor events.
The Bignold Park bonfire does not necessarily attract a crowd of that size, but Mr Hill felt it was in the best interests of the community to call it off.
He said: “I would say we normally get between 300 and 400 people. They come and go – there could end up being more than that at it.
“People will come, wish you a Happy New Year, get a wee bit of warmth and then go on to where they're going.
“Apart from me, you usually don't get them standing there for the whole two or two-and-a-half hours until it has died down."
He added: “The decision has not been an easy one but has been made with the best interests of the town in mind.
“Many other festivals around Scotland have had to be cancelled, including the Yule Log Pull in Stromness, the Ba' in Kirkwall and the Stonehaven fire festival.
“All we can do is look forward to next year and hope we can get this traditional fire lit again."
As in previous years, Mr Hill had been collecting wooden pallets from other local businesses since October. Many of the pallets would not have been fit for further use.
Used items from the Nethercliffe such as napkins, crackers and pieces of cardboard are also kept aside to help get the bonfire going, with all the combustible materials normally being transported over to the Bignold Park early on the morning of December 31.
“We don't use petrol or diesel or anything like that,” Mr Hill explained.
For the time being, the pallets are safely stacked alongside a wall at the side of the hotel.
The cancellation 12 months ago was especially poignant as it came in the year that saw the passing of Mr Hill's father-in-law, Wick historian Iain Sutherland, who had revived the bonfire in the early 1970s.
The New Year bonfire in the Pulteneytown area is part of a tradition of winter fire festivals celebrated in towns throughout Scotland and beyond.
