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03 Apr 2026
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03 Apr 2026
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Crowds are gathering in Shetland for the world-famous Up Helly Aa fire festival.
The event takes place in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January each year and attracts visitors from around the globe.
The festival sees people dressed as Vikings march through the streets of the town to recreate its ancient Viking past, in a tradition dating back to the 19th century.
The walk is led by the Guizer Jarl, or chief guizer, and culminates in a torch-lit procession and the burning of a replica longboat.
Volunteers are responsible for the building of the galley boat and the production of more than 1,000 torches.
In the evening those taking part in the festival attend a host of celebrations in halls around the town.
Shetland and neighbouring Orkney were ruled by the Norse for about 500 years until they became part of Scotland in 1468.
The festival stems from the 1870s when a group of young local men wanted to put new ideas into Shetland’s Christmas celebrations.
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