Comrie Flambeaux

What to expect

The evening builds in stages. The children's fancy dress parade comes first in the early evening, then a fireworks display at the Boulevard. Later the village gathers in Melville Square for the judging of the adult fancy dress and floats, and at midnight the flambeaux are lit. Led by the pipe band and followed by the costumed revellers, the torch-bearers march the flaming poles around the village streets. The procession ends at Dalginross Bridge, where the torches are hurled into the River Earn in a shower of sparks. Between the early events and midnight, the village pubs and homes keep the evening going, and the square fills up steadily as the bells approach.

The story behind it

Nobody can put a date on the flambeaux, but the village calls it a centuries-old tradition, and it is generally thought to come from an old fire-cleansing custom meant to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck for the year ahead. Throwing the torches into the river carries the bad luck away with them. Comrie is fiercely proud of it: when public events were cancelled in 2020 and 2021, four flambeaux were still carried secretly through the empty streets so that the chain was not broken. The parade is run by volunteers and paid for by village fundraising.

Getting there and home

Comrie lies on the A85 west of Crieff. The nearest practical station is Perth, with buses running via Crieff, but there is no public transport home in the small hours of New Year's Day. Most visitors drive and stay over, or book a room in Comrie or Crieff. Parking in the village is limited on the night, so arrive early and be prepared to walk in.

Watching, taking part and tips

The torches are carried by locals, so visitors watch. Find a spot along the route or near the bridge, but give the flaming poles plenty of room. The early-evening children's parade and fireworks are the best part for younger visitors. Wrap up very warmly, as it is all outdoors at midnight in a Perthshire winter, and bring a torch for walking back. Bringing a few coins for the volunteers' collection buckets helps keep the tradition alive. Afterwards, the walk back through the dark village with the smell of smoke in the air is part of the magic.

Taking part

The historical programme on the village’s community website splits the evening into separate strands: children’s fancy dress, adult fancy dress and the midnight Flambeaux parade. Dressing up doesn’t put a lit torch in your hand. To join a costume gathering, or to ask about helping with the flambeaux, have a word with the committee.

That page looks back to the celebrations resuming after the public events were cancelled in 2020 and 2021, so it isn’t the 2026 programme; wait for the new announcement before pencilling times into your diary. When it arrives, see which activities are on, where to gather and whether your group needs to register. Pick a costume you can walk in and actually see out of, and simple enough to let you follow the organisers’ instructions. Above all, give the people preparing and carrying the torches plenty of room: a village celebration runs best when visitors leave them space to work.

Make a day of it nearby

For a different slice of local history, try Cultybraggan. Comrie Development Trust’s Camp Estate website describes a former military camp around a mile from the village, now home to accommodation, workspaces and visitor activities. Museum visitors are pointed to a separate Comrie Museum site, and that matters when you’re checking opening: getting onto the estate, or bedding down in one of its huts, isn’t the same as museum admission. If you want to see inside, check with the right provider before you go.

For a family day out, Auchingarrich Wildlife and Adventure Park is the other nearby pick. Browse its current visitor and booking pages to choose the animal experiences and activities your lot will love — not every advertised experience necessarily runs over the festive period. Both places keep their own calendars and admissions. Our tip: give one of them its own daylight slot, and let Comrie’s early-evening and midnight celebrations be an outing in their own right rather than something squeezed around another ticketed activity.

Eating and drinking

The Royal Hotel in Comrie takes both room and table bookings through its own website, so it’s a good first call for a meal before the parade. Ask about service on 31 December, the menu and any New Year arrangements — an ordinary table booking may not be available at any hour you fancy on Hogmanay. If you want to stay the night too, ask about that separately: a dinner reservation doesn’t come with a room, or with a view of the procession.

The Comrie Hotel needs a closer look. Its homepage currently carries a notice about renovations and says it’s open for bed-and-breakfast accommodation only, even though restaurant links still appear on the site. Get in touch before counting on it for dinner. If your family is staying for both the early programme and midnight, book a proper meal in between and decide who’s coming back out for the late procession. There’s no need for younger children to stay awake for every part of Hogmanay; the fancy dress may be plenty for them.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Comrie Community Council: Comrie Flambeaux ↗
• Calendar Customs: Comrie Flambeaux Procession ↗
• Comrie community council: historical Flambeaux programme ↗
• Comrie Development Trust:Camp Estate visitor overview ↗
• Auchingarrich Wildlife and Adventure Park:official visitor information ↗
• Royal Hotel Comrie:official table and room booking information ↗
• Comrie Hotel:homepage renovation and service notice ↗