How To Enjoy Up Helly Aa – As A Visitor To Shetland

Scotland has its fair share of fantastic winter traditions, but there’s no celebration quite like Up Helly Aa! Experiencing Shetland’s Viking-themed fire festival is something that lives long in the memory. I’ve witnessed the Burning of the Clavie, Stonehaven Fireballs, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and hundreds of Burns Suppers, but Up Helly Aa is the one that really sticks with me.

Standing in the cold Lerwick night as a thousand flaming torches marched past, sparks drifting amongst the snowflakes, was mesmerising. The burning of the galley and roar of the crowd singing songs was incredible. However, it’s the sense of Shetland community and pride in keeping their traditions alive that set it apart.

If you’re planning to visit Up Helly Aa or just want to know what on earth it is, then this guide is here to help!

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What Is Up Helly Aa?

Shetland’s Fire Festivals mark the end of the Yule season. The name Up Helly Aa literally means End of (Up) Holy Days (Helly) All (Aa)! Like the history of these islands, it’s a mixture of Old Norse and Scots.

In its most simplistic explanation, Up Helly Aa is a celebration that involves groups dressed as Vikings (and others), parading around the streets with torches, before burning a specially made longship. Fire is a feature of many winter festivals, both to keep us warm and symbolically cleanse the past year.

That’s the simple version, but as you’ll see in this Up Helly Aa guide, I discovered there’s much more to the day.

It lasts from around 8am in the morning with the big reveal of this year’s Jarl Squad and Galley. There are parades, proclamations and events throughout the day before the torchlit section in the evening. That’s when the party really starts, with locals celebrating until 8 or 9 in the morning!

The most important thing to know about Up Helly Aa in my mind is that this isn’t a show for tourists. It’s a strongly supported local tradition that has been worked on tirelessly by volunteers over the year. Visiting Up Helly Aa is warmly welcomed, but it’s important to treat it with respect and remember who it means the most to.

There’s More Than One Up Helly Aa

In fact, this isn’t just one day or even one festival! There are 11 different Up Helly Aas held between January and March every year, spread around the archipelago. The main town of Lerwick’s is by far the largest and most famous, taking place on the last Tuesday of January.

Lerwick is the Up Helly Aa that I attended and that most people might visit, so it’s going to be the focus here! However, if you can’t make that day, then don’t think you’ve missed out entirely. Many people prefer some of the smaller, more intimate celebrations!

If you’re interested in the Folklore of the Shetland Isles – have a read of this!

How To Experience Up Helly Aa

If you want to experience Up Helly Aa, then you’re going to need to plan in advance! I booked my room well in advance and there were already very few options available! Ideally, you’ll want to stay in Lerwick itself rather than have to travel. Here’s a few options for places I’ve stayed in the past:

Norlande Guest House – Very central for the procession and great quality spot!

Carradale Guest House – Another comfortable option with good access and plenty of rooms!

Lerwick Hotel – A bit more of a walk away but with plenty of rooms and its own restaurant!

Isleburgh House Hostel – My favourite budget option, this hostel is great for groups who want to book a whole dorm room to themselves!

Once you’ve booked a room, you’ll need to sort out how to get to Up Helly Aa! If you’re only visiting for the festival and don’t plan on doing much exploring, flying with LoganAir is by far the quickest option, but you will need to get from the airport to Lerwick.

I prefer to have my car with me since there are so many places to visit in winter in Shetland! That means getting the overnight Northlink Ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick. Trust me that you’ll want to book a cabin if possible! The journey will take around 12-14 hours, so you’ve got plenty of time to read this guidebook by Shetland expert Laurie Goodlad!

A Brief History of Up Helly Aa

Most people naturally assume that Up Helly Aa dates back to Shetland’s Viking period or the days when the islands were part of the Kingdom of Norway. However, the festival is a little bit more modern than you’d think!

This iconic Shetland fire festival is less than 150 years old and has been evolving ever since it was created. Up Helly Aa grew from an older tradition of tar barrelling, where youths would drag burning barrels through the streets. It was something that is thought to stem from young men returning from the Napoleonic Wars with a new love of pyromania.

That tradition gained popularity in the early 19th century, but as you might imagine, a few of the more respectable characters around town weren’t too happy. Crews dragging flaming barrels would meet in the narrow streets and cause more than a little damage to private property. Finally, in 1874, tar-barrelling was completely banned.

This special time had to marked in some way though and symbolic fire had to be a central theme. A more sensible torchlit procession was begun. By 1889, a boat burning had been added and then shortly after, the Viking theme was introduced. Eventually, a Guizar Jarl was appointed to lead the event and the Up Helly Aa that we now recognise was formed.

The Guizer Jarl & His Squad

At the heart of every Up Helly Aa is the Guizer Jarl. He isn’t just the ceremonial leader of Up Helly Aa, on the morning of the event the police hand over symbolic control of Lerwick to this Viking chief! There’s a lot of responsibility with the role but no greater honour to don the winged helm.

The Jarl has waited years for this moment, serving on the Up Helly Aa committee for 15 years. That gives plenty of time to think about his theme, based on a character from the Norse Sagas. Whoever the Jarl is going to represent is a closely guarded secret, only revealed on the morning of Up Helly Aa.

While the Guizar Jarl’s helmet, shield and armour are passed down every year, his squad of around 65 craft their outfit based on the theme. Most of their matching weapons, armour and helmets are homemade or crafted in Shetland, but they look the part! I’ve been told the most important part is to have comfortable footwear for the long day!

Even if you aren’t visiting Shetland during Up Helly Aa, it’s worth going to the exhibition in the Galley Shed to see previous Jarl Squad outfits.

Other Up Helly Aa Squads

There are plenty of other squads involved in Up Helly Aa beside the Jarl’s! Nobody else is allowed to dress as Vikings, that’s a special honour. You’ll see all manner of weird and wonderful outfits during the torchlit procession.

Some are satirical, some are slightly absurd, plenty are hilarious. There are dozens of other squads with up to 25 members in each, enough to make 1000 torch carriers! When you spot people wearing regular t-shirts and jeans, you know that their outfit is too flammable for the parade, but it still gets used later on!

The Galley or Viking Longship

Another intrinsic part of Up Helly Aa is a beautifully hand-built Viking longship, locally known as the galley. Built specifically for the festival using traditional skills, the colour scheme is another closely guarded secret.

You can see the galley being paraded through the streets first thing in the morning. It’s then parked up at the Bressay Ferry Terminal for most of the day to allow everybody to get pictures of it. Sadly, this ship will never sail, destined to be burned as part of the evening entertainment!

How The Up Helly Aa Day Unfolds

First Reveal

At 8.20am, the public get the first look at the Jarl’s Squad as they march through the streets to the British Legion. That’s where the Galley will be parked up and crowds begin to gather outside.

The Bill At The Market Cross

The Jarl’s Squad, followed by the Galley and a brass band then march toward Lerwick’s Market Cross. That’s where this year’s giant Bill has been erected for all to see. It’s packed with inside jokes and local news or gossip from the previous year! Everybody will be treated to traditional Up Helly Aa songs.

Bressay Ferry Terminal

The squad then head to the Bressay Ferry Terminal to climb into the Galley for picture opportunities. After the official photographers have had their shot, everybody else gets a chance. For the rest of the day, the Jarl’s Squad will visit places like hospitals, schools and care homes.

Shetland Museum Event

There is a ticketed meet and greet for members of the public at the Shetland Museum. They always sell out quick, but it’s the best chance for most people to get a picture with a Viking!

Torchlit Procession

The most exciting part of Up Helly Aa begins after dark. Before the main procession, it’s possible to see a scaled down version with the Junior torchlit procession and galley burning at 5.30pm. It’s also a good way to get a better position before crowds arrive for the big event!

You’ll want to find a position somewhere around the north King George V Playing
Field to see everything. At 7.30pm, a firework goes off and Lerwick suddenly seems on fire as the torches are lit up. Then the procession begins to march along the streets, led by the Guizar Jarl, followed by the longship and hundreds more characters.

Burning the Galley

Eventually, the processions reaches its climax as the squads all enter the park and circle the Galley. The Jarl climbs inside and leads more rounds of singing before clambering out to safety. All of those torches are then thrown inside the ship which doesn’t take long to burst spectacularly into flames!

The Real Up Helly Aa Party Begins

The burning galley might be the most famous part of Up Helly Aa, but it’s not the end! Locals will then head to eleven different halls to party until 8 or 9am. Most are private events that require an invite, but Lerwick Town Hall is open for anybody to purchase a ticket!

There’s music, dancing, food and lots of drinking involved. All of those squads in fancy dress head from hall to hall performing a song, dance or sketch. It’s an experience I won’t forget in a hurry, even though I only made it to around 5am. At least I was there to see the Jarl’s squad and get the chance to try out an axe!

Will You Head To Up Helly Aa?

In the dark, cold months, we all need something to help get us through. For the people of Shetland, that’s Up Helly Aa and it’s a tradition that other communities can be envious of! It took me years of admiring it from afar before I finally took the plunge and I wish I’d done it sooner!

Hopefully, this guide to Up Helly Aa has given you enough of a taste of Shetland’s fire festivals to seek them out for yourself. If you’re feeling inspired to visit then let me know and if you want other ideas for things to experience in Shetland – give this a read!

If you have any other questions that I might not have covered, feel free to ask so I can include them going forward. For anybody planning their own trip to Shetland, there’s no better resource than Shetland With Laurie!

For history, folklore and legends from Shetland, there’s a whole chapter dedicated to the islands in the Scotland’s Stories book, available here!