April 2012
What's happening in Shetland in January 2012
In January, one of the darkest months of winter in Shetland, fires are lit to celebrate the islands heritage. Up Helly Aa is the biggest event in Shetland, and is one of the most compelling reasons to visit shetland. Accommodation and travel are booked up fast - so if you're lucky enough to find space - book now!
The festival itself is relatively new - and grew from older Yuletide and New Year festivities, when young men beat drums, blew horns, fired guns, shouted and caused mischief on Old Christmas Eve. In 1840 tar barrels were introduced into the proceedings - and were dragged (on fire) on sledges through the town by squads of masked young men. Tar barrelling was abolished - but only really stopped when the young men of Lerwick had grown tired of it.
Change came around 1870, when a group of young men injected new ideas into the proceedings - delaying the celebration until late January, introducing a far more 
elaborate form of disguise - "guizing" and incorporating a torchlight procession. The Up Helly Aa "bill" displayed at the Market Cross was introduced and it poked fun at the pompous - sometimes driving the victims to fury. Later on Viking themes were introduced and in the late 1880s the replica Viking Longship was introduced into Up Helly Aa.
Since the Second World War, Up Helly Aa has become a much bigger festival, which is efficiently coordinated throughout the year. Previously, individuals kept open house to welcome the guizers on Up Helly Aa night, now large Halls throughout Lerwick (including Holmsgarth Terminal) are opened to entertain them.
Up Helly Aa takes place on the final Tuesday of January, this year on Tuesday 31st January 2012. The day involves a series of marches and visitations and in the evening is the most famous part - the torch-lit procession. 
On the stroke of 7.30pm, a signal rocket bursts over the town hall, torches (stout fencing posts, topped with paraffin-soaked sacking) are lit, the band begins to play and a blazing procession begins, snaking half a mile behind the Guizar Jarl - who stands upon his replica Longship.
The Galley is dragged by the Jarls Squad to the burning site (at other times of the year, a children's playground), through a crowd of five thousand spectators, and then the torchbearers form a circle round the Longship and sing the traditional Up Helly Aa song. Another rocket is fired and the Jarl leaves the ship. A bugle call sounds, and the torches are hurled into the galley. 
The sight of the galley ablaze is amazing - but the night does not end there. Later on and well into the next morning there follows hours of performing and dancing in halls throughout Lerwick. Various Squads of men visit each hall and perform a piece. In Holmsgarth Terminal, visitors arriving from the NorthLink Ferry the next morning will arrive to a party still in full swing!
There are other Fire Festivals throughout Shetland during the winter - and in the other fire festivals women are not banned from being torch-bearers and guizers as they are in Lerwick. Scalloway Fire Festival, held on 13th January 2012, is unique in that the Galley is burnt whilst floating on the sea.
Fire Festivals also take place in Nesting and Girlsta, Uyeasound, Northmavine, Bressay, Cullivoe, Norwick in February 2012 and the South Mainland and Delting (Brae) Fire Festivals take place in March. If you don't manage to see any of the Fire Festivals, there is an Up Helly Aa Exhibition in the Galley shed in Lerwick from mid-May until mid-September.
Booking directly with NorthLink Ferries on www.northlinkferries.co.uk is cheaper than booking 
with another website and we never charge for any amendments made to your booking!
