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The Up Helly Aa Viking festival, held at Brae on Shetland's mainland, is the last one of the season. As your final chance to engage in sacrificial ship-burning and sun-worship until next year, make the most of it!
The event begins with a procession. Along with the Vikings, more than 300 guizers (squads of costumed performers) carry flaming torches through the darkened village streets down to the shore. Everyone flings their torch onto the ship as it is pushed out to sea and goes up in flames.
After the burning, all the different guizers make a tour of the parish halls and community centres of local villages, such as Brae, Nesting, Bressay and more. In each place they perform a dance, sketch or a song. Between each performance the band strikes up the tune for Shetland Reels, Boston Two-Steps and other local dances.
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