Up-Helly-Aa is a lot more than a sub-arctic bonfire party. The day (and night) long celebration is planned a year in advance by several thousand people and preparations are shrouded in secrecy. The biggest secret of all is what the head of the festival, the 'Guizer Jarl', will wear on the day. Kitted out in a raven-winged helmet, axe and shield the Jarl leads over 800 men in Viking disguise through the streets of Lerwick with blazing torches before setting fire to a long boat in the city centre. Needless to say the party doesn’t end there. In true Scots style, celebrations go on through the night and into the next day with gatherings in halls throughout the town. Not surprisingly the next day is a public holiday! And, if you still have energy left, join the hardy partygoers for a second evening of dancing known as the ‘Guizer’s hop’.
If you do miss the Lerwick Up-Helly-Aa (or if it gives you the taste for more of the same), there are another eight fire festivals in various districts of Shetland during the late winter.