Up Helly Aa
The Galley
The longship pictured during the procession to the burning site.
Image by Kenny Gifford
On the last Tuesday every January Lerwick is host to the UK's largest fire-festival, "Up-Helly-Aa". Around 900 colourfully dressed "guisers" follow the Jarl's squad of Vikings and their long-ship through the darkened streets of Lerwick, all carrying burning torches. The ceremony ends spectacularly as the hundreds of flaming torches are thrown into the ship. The celebration continues well into the night as each of the 40 or so ‘squads’ visit the town's 12 halls and perform amusing sketches.
