RESIDENTS in South Queensferry gathered for an unusual tradition involving a man being covered in thousands of seeds this morning.

The Burryman’s Day parade sees a man walking through the town on the second Friday of August, covered from head to ankles in burrs – the seedheads of burdock plants.

The Burryman’s procession is supposed to bring good luck to the townspeople, and features residents guiding him along the streets for up to nine hours with cries of “Hip hip hooray, it’s the Burryman’s Day”.

The meaning of the parade has been lost through the years, although it is believed to have been first recorded in the 17th century.

The National:

Burryman Andrew Taylor was led from the Stag Head Hotel. People stood at either side with a youngster in front ringing a bell as the Burryman set off on his walk of between seven and nine miles. He was not allowed to speak.

Kathleen Hamblin and Yvonne Martin helped start his long day walking the town by giving him a nip of whisky – which he had to drink through a straw to get it through the Burryman suit.

He will make more than 20 ports of call before 6pm – and have a dram of whisky on each occasion.