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In Pictures: Northern lights, Taylor Swift and a frozen troot – Scotland in 2024

In Pictures: Northern lights, Taylor Swift and a frozen troot – Scotland in 2024
The aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, above the Forth Bridge at North Queensferry in May (Jane Barlow/PA)
PA Archive/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Scotland welcomed 2024 in explosive style with the traditional fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle at the Hogmanay street party.

The 12 months which followed saw electoral change, footballing disappointment and all-conquering pop star Taylor Swift take over Murrayfield.

Courtesy of PA news agency photographers, these are the most captivating images from Scotland over the last year.

Fireworks explode over Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral ClockFireworks explode over Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral Clock as 2024 is ushered in with the Hogmanay street party (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

People take part in a loony dook dip in the Firth of Forth at Kinghorn, Fife, on the first day of 2024People take part in a loony dook dip in the Firth of Forth at Kinghorn, Fife, on the first day of 2024 (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

The Jarl Squad set light to a galley in Lerwick on the Shetland Isles during the Up Helly Aa fire festivalThe Jarl Squad set light to a galley in Lerwick on the Shetland Isles during the Up Helly Aa fire festival at the end of January (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

Dancers in the girls' 12-13 competition take part in the 48th World Irish Dancing Championships at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow in MarchDancers in the girls’ 12-13 competition take part in the 48th World Irish Dancing Championships at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow in March (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Pipe bands play during a special event day to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk in AprilPipe bands play during a special event day to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk in April (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Humza Yousaf walks down stairs clutching a folder before resigning as First MinisterHumza Yousaf prepares to resign as SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister at the end of April (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

Anas Sarwar and Sir Keir Starmer dressed in hi-vis jackets and hard hats at the Port of GreenockScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (right) joins UK party leader Sir Keir Starmer at the Port of Greenock on the campaign trail in May before July’s UK general election victory (Stefan Rousseau/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Stefan Rousseau

Music fans hold their mobile phones in the air as they watch Taylor Swift perform on stage during her Eras tour at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 7Music fans watch Taylor Swift perform on stage during her Eras tour at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 7 (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Scotland football fans congregated en masse in Marienplatz, Munich, in a sea of blue ahead of the start of Euro 2024Scotland fans gather in Munich in June for the start of the Euro 2024 football tournament, which ended with the team finishing bottom of the group (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

The King meets performers at a celebration at Edinburgh Castle to mark the 900th anniversary of the city at the start of JulyThe King meets performers at a celebration at Edinburgh Castle to mark the 900th anniversary of the city at the start of July (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Two acrobats standing on the shoulders of another two acrobats while a female acrobat balances a foot on each of their heads in front of the Assembly Hall in EdinburghAcrobats take part in a display in front of the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh during a photocall for the Gravity and Other Myths show Ten Thousand Hours, ahead of their appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Burryman Andrew Taylor parades through the town of South Queensferry encased in burrsBurryman Andrew Taylor parades through the town of South Queensferry encased in burrs. The parade takes place on the second Friday of August each year and is said to bring the town good luck (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator\u2019s Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife in OctoberStudents take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator’s Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife in October (Lesley Martin/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Lesley Martin

The man-made fish-shaped Muckle Troot Loch near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, surrounded by snow and ice as temperatures dropped in NovemberThe man-made fish-shaped Muckle Troot Loch near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, is surrounded by snow and ice as temperatures fall in November (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jane Barlow

Mourners at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh during the public memorial service for the former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, who died aged 69 in OctoberScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and former prime minister Gordon Brown were among the mourners at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh during the public memorial service for former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, who died aged 69 in October (Jeff Mitchell/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jeff Mitchell

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