Biggar Bonfire

Where:	Biggar, South Lanarkshire- on the High Street by the Corn Exchange
When:	31st December
Time:	Parade 9pm, Bonfire lit at 9.30pm

The enormous bonfire held every New Year’s Eve at Biggar marks Hogmanay with a conflagration that burns for hours. Written records for the custom date back to the early years of the nineteenth century, but its origins are believed to go much further back in time, and it’s a very well established popular community event with an impeccable record for safety despite the leaping flames. The evening begins at the bottom end of the High Street, where a torchlit parade with pipers makes its way up to the fire site outside the Corn Exchange. A local invited guest, usually one of the most senior residents on the town, has the honour of setting it aflame, and all are welcome to join the crowd to burn out the old year and burn in the new while the Biggar Pipe Band play. Visitors attend from near and far, and all are welcome. Somebody must have said already that “Biggar is Better”…

Helpful Hints

In cases of extreme weather, the event may be amended (this happened in 2024 due to high winds, when a mini bonfire was lit at 9.30 to keep the tradition alive, but the big one had to remain unlit for safety reasons) but it’s only been cancelled altogether on a handful of occasions (including wartime and the covid pandemic). Keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates as the decision in cases like this may be made relatively close to the due time.

There’s online fundraising via the Facebook link below.

There are parking restrictions and road closures in place for the event so arrive early.

Click here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BiggarBonfire/?locale=en_GB

Click here for archive photos from earlier years: https://www.biggarbonfire.org.uk/index.html

Thanks to Jim Fleming for the helpful info!