Going to Up Helly Aa : true Viking experiences in Shetland-
Have you filled your childhood dreams with sails flapping in the Northern wind, Viking longboats off to faraway lands and proud Norsemen pointing their swords at the unknown? You must go to Shetland, the northernmost island of Scotland, and visit Up Helly Aa.
Seeing Up Helly Aa is something I won’t ever forget
Up Helly Aa? The best Viking festival in the world! 900 men dressed as Vikings, with furry boots, winged helmets and axes, holding blazing torches in the jet-black winter night, and setting a Viking ship on fire.
It happens every year on the last Tuesday of January: the town of Lerwick is invaded by a squad of “Guizers”, proud Norsemen ready to set the darkness on fire. Going to Up Helly Aa has been a dream of mine for a long time, and this year I knew it was now or never. The North was calling me….
Burning ships…
Up Helly Aa: celebrating Viking heritage
For 800 years, the Shetland Islands have been ruled by Norsemen. Shetland was at the heart of Vikings’ cold kingdom in the far North. The islands belong to Scotland since the 16th century, but Scandinavian culture is still alive, and in January, the Vikings come back.
During a whole year, the men of Lerwick carefully craft and paint a Viking longboat that they will sacrifice to the flames. Being part of the Guizers’ squad is an honor, but the greatest honor of all is to be Jarl Guizer: the chief! You have to wait for 16 years to become one. The funny thing was seeing how men start letting their hair and beard grow 6 or 7 years before their turn comes, so that hair length provided you with a timeline of the upcoming Up Helly Aas.
Norsemen painting their galley on the day before Up Helly Aa. Such care for a ship that will burn down! This is 2017’s Guizer Jarl, the chief.
A crazy night in Lerwick, Shetland
First teenagers aged 10 to 15 march at 5:30 PM, and it feels like a rehearsal of the bigger procession to come. There are hundred young boys and girls marching with their torches, and burning a smaller boat.
Teenagers marching at Up Helly Aa
Then you wait two more hours in the pouring rain. And at 7:30 PM it comes. The street lights go out, a firework explodes in the silent, anticipating night, and suddenly 900 torches go ablaze. The men sing old marine songs and start marching through the city, carrying the doomed ship. It looks like a gigantic dragon of bright fire crawling through the dark streets.
Gale force winds are howling, the rain is pouring, my camera lenses are covered with drops and the smoke of 900 torches burns my eyes. But the moment is mystical.
Very difficult conditions for pictures with pouring rain and strong winds… At first the torches burn red, then a wave of orange light sweeps over the city
A last song, a twirling maelstrom of fire, and then the men throw their torches at the galley. Another dragon rises into the night – fire burning bright, drawing evil shapes in the sky. It’s over – ashes in the air.
Fire dragon…
But the night is still young. The Vikings will party twelve hours long in private tents and houses, and beer will flow. It’s one of these moments when you know: once in a lifetime…
Winged helmets and orange flames…
Hypnotized by the flames
Going to Up Helly Aa : an adventure in itself
The Shetland Islands are the northernmost, and most isolated islands of Great-Britain. Contrary to Orkney, which is relatively often included on a tourist route through Northern Scotland, Shetland is so remote and hard to reach that it remains unspoiled. I could drive for hours without seeing any other soul, lost in a barren, windswept landscapes straight out of Norse mythology.
But going there was a challenge. Shetland lies 300km North of Scotland’s Mainland, in the heart of the North Sea, facing Bergen in Norway. The flights to Shetland are very scarce and expensive, and it’s nearly impossible to rent a car in Shetland (the prices are awfully high, and very few cars are available). And don’t even try going to Shetland without a car, except if you plan on staying in Lerwick exclusively (which would be a shame, considering the wild beauty of Shetland’s lonely landscapes). Only one option remains: renting a car in Aberdeen, and taking an overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick.
From Aberdeen to Shetland: the ferry feels like an adventure
Flights have shrunken the world, but going to Shetland makes traveling feel like an adventure again. Imagine spending the night rocked by the mighty waves of the North Sea, in a cabin with sea view. 14 hours later, you set foot in Shetland.
I encourage you to discover the beauty of those raw, remote islands covered with sheep, pierced with steep cliffs and blessed by surprisingly light and soft white sand beaches. If you do read French, you will find a big, big article about Shetland here – if you don’t, just have a look at the pictures 😉
You can also see all the pictures in my Shetland album.
Doesn’t it look like Scandinavia?
Sheep, cliffs and rocks!
The biggest otter population in Europe lives in Shetland
Truly gorgeous beaches and lanscapes
Roadtrip to Shetland…
Jarlshof: the best preserved Viking village in the world
By low tide, you can walk up to the island of Saint Ninian
Fantastic cliffs of Eshaness
I would love to inspire you to discover those islands which truly feel out of this world. I went to Iceland last summer, and Shetland heightens my desire to explore the Vikings’ old kingdom. Norway, Greenland… where will the road lead me?
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40 commentaires pour
“Going to Up Helly Aa : true Viking experiences in Shetland”
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le 9 February, 2017 à 19 h 39 min a dit :
OMG this must have been such an amazing experience!! And your photos are superb!!! Did you know about it or did you happen to be in the right place at the right time?
le 9 February, 2017 à 19 h 41 min a dit :
Thank you dear Mihaela! I knew about it, I have dreamt of going there for the last 5 years, but it was so complicated and expensive and hard to organize that I always postponed it… and this year, I thought, ok, now or never! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
le 9 February, 2017 à 20 h 17 min a dit :
Wow I’ve never heard of this before. What an experience!!! I would love to do this some day! Although it does look a tiny bit scary, but so cool!
le 9 February, 2017 à 20 h 19 min a dit :
Thank you dear Lena! yes, it is a bit crazy and feels like a real adventure, but it was really safe, the Islanders are truly kind and helpful people, and the Vikings were super nice 😉 thank you!
le 9 February, 2017 à 23 h 23 min a dit :
Wow that landscape does look like Scandinavia especially because of the color of the houses and what an experience! Definitely very unique!
le 10 February, 2017 à 13 h 52 min a dit :
Yes, the houses reminded me of Iceland or Norway 🙂
le 10 February, 2017 à 0 h 14 min a dit :
So intense! Sounds like such a cool cultural experience and those landscapes you shared were so beautiful as well!
le 10 February, 2017 à 13 h 52 min a dit :
Thank you Rachelle, this is something I won’t ever forget!
le 11 February, 2017 à 0 h 45 min a dit :
What an amazing experience! I’m from England and have never ventured that far North of my own country. I would love to visit the Shetland islands, and your pictures have certainly whetted my appetite even more! I had no idea how rugged and breathtaking it was.
Thanks for sharing
le 11 February, 2017 à 7 h 42 min a dit :
Thank you Rebecca, yes this is the extreme far North of UK! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Great Britain is stunning!
le 11 February, 2017 à 1 h 05 min a dit :
Oh my goodness what amazing pictures! I’ve wanted to go to Up Helly Aa since I saw it on Blue Peter (UK children’s TV programme) – might have to make it happen!
le 11 February, 2017 à 7 h 46 min a dit :
Oh I didn’t know it was featured in children’s programms in the UK! I would have loved to see that as a child, I was already obsessed with vikings back then 😉
le 11 February, 2017 à 1 h 56 min a dit :
I had never heard of this festival, but boy does Scotland have some epic ones! And your photos are wanderlust-worthy!!! I need to return and explore more of Scotland and hopefully add this festival to my list!
le 11 February, 2017 à 7 h 50 min a dit :
Thank you so much Stephanie! Scotland is awesome, I looove this country and its culture!
le 11 February, 2017 à 4 h 09 min a dit :
How absolutely fascinating! The imagery is so striking and the events so unique! I never even knew such a viking tradition existed – it looks like it was a mindblowing experience that we should look into having ourselves thanks!
le 11 February, 2017 à 7 h 55 min a dit :
Thank you Michelle! It was indeed something I won’t ever forget, it really touched me!
le 11 February, 2017 à 4 h 11 min a dit :
This is so going onto my bucket list to Scotland! I can’t believe how gorgeous it is.
What a hidden place you have found – and kudos for taking the overnight ferry!
le 11 February, 2017 à 7 h 56 min a dit :
Thank you Nam! I wasn’t sea sick on the ferry on the way to Lerwick… but I was on the way back, there was a storm and it was bad 😉 But I don’t regret it! It was worth the sea sickness!
Ah, Scotland is the best. I love this country!
le 11 February, 2017 à 14 h 06 min a dit :
This is such an interesting festival! Wow!!
le 12 February, 2017 à 21 h 12 min a dit :
Thank you Alice, it was a great experience!
le 11 February, 2017 à 14 h 09 min a dit :
I LOVE your photos! I definitely need to go up when this festival is on, I just saw the smaller Scalloway one which was still really fun and we went to one of the halls, but I’d love to go for this! Future goals!!
le 12 February, 2017 à 21 h 25 min a dit :
Scalloway’s festival seems to be really cool too! Shetland in winter is surprisingly fun !
le 11 February, 2017 à 15 h 41 min a dit :
Wow – I was just blown away by this post! Were my childhood dreams filled with vikings and norsemen? Yes and yes! Going on the bucket list! Thanks for the itinerary tips too!
le 15 February, 2017 à 11 h 28 min a dit :
Thank you so much, Isobel! I am so glad you share my Viking childhood dreams 🙂
le 11 February, 2017 à 18 h 43 min a dit :
What! This place sounds unreal.Like it has to be fake, right? lol. What a cool and bizarre thing to see. And the boat ride sounds like it would be cool but also something that would make me feel nauseated. haha.
le 12 February, 2017 à 21 h 06 min a dit :
I wasn’t sick on the way to Shetland, but boy was I sick on the way back! there was a storm and it was a disaster 😉
le 13 February, 2017 à 8 h 47 min a dit :
Wow!!! amazing pictures and what an incredible experience – I’d never even heard of this festival but now I want to see it in real life!! Your pictures of the coast are beautiful too, added to the bucket list!!
le 15 February, 2017 à 11 h 25 min a dit :
Thank you so much, Rosie! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
le 13 February, 2017 à 9 h 42 min a dit :
Oh, wow – this is like something straight out of a movie. I’ve never heard about it before but it looks amazing.
le 15 February, 2017 à 11 h 30 min a dit :
I am so glad I could show you this! Thank you Sara!
le 13 February, 2017 à 11 h 30 min a dit :
I HAVE SCOTLAND HIGH ON MY LIST FOR LATER IN THE YEAR. Is it really cold during the winter? I was thinking of a FALL/leaves-changing kind of visit since I’m a little tired of all the cold weather. Some of the landscapes remind me of Ireland when I took a road-trip all around the country. Just gorgeous! What camera are you using by the way?
le 15 February, 2017 à 11 h 36 min a dit :
It’s cold, yes, but not as extreme as you would think, around 0-8 celsius degrees. But it can get really wet, windy and foggy 😉 If you’re looking for great weather, I would suggest to stick to summer, but remember : it’s still Scotland, the weather is notoriously moody in the UK 😉
I use a Canon t6i with a wide angle 10-22 lense on most landscape pictures 🙂
le 13 February, 2017 à 14 h 12 min a dit :
It’s incredible! And your photos are perfect. I think we have now plans for January next year 🙂 Is it difficult to find there something for the night during the fest?
le 15 February, 2017 à 11 h 37 min a dit :
Yes it is!! If you want to go during Up Helly Aa, book at least 8 months in advance, I am not exaggerating. 5 months from the festival, everything was fully booked and I had to call every hotel and guesthouse for 15 days, everyday, before finding something… It’s a small island, with few accomodations!
le 17 May, 2017 à 13 h 11 min a dit :
You must have had an unforgettable experience! This seems like so much fun!
le 28 July, 2017 à 5 h 20 min a dit :
[…] when I wore a kilt in the cold Scottish winter. And speaking about winter, have you heard of the Viking Festival in Shetland? I wonder what Thor would think about wearing a […]
le 22 December, 2017 à 11 h 51 min a dit :
I HAVE SCOTLAND HIGH ON MY LIST FOR LATER IN THE YEAR. Is it really cold during the winter? I was thinking of a FALL/leaves-changing kind of visit since I’m a little tired of all the cold weather. Some of the landscapes remind me of Ireland when I took a road-trip all around the country. Just gorgeous! What camera are you using by the way?
le 23 December, 2017 à 18 h 31 min a dit :
Thank you! Canon t6i. I think you will love Shetland!
le 15 July, 2018 à 4 h 56 min a dit :
Thank you for the post. I have been trying to get to Up Helly Aa for at least the last five years and it looks like this January I will finally be able to do it. I am wondering: how long do you recommend staying on the island? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime dream so I don’t want to cut short my stay just because of itineraries.
le 16 July, 2018 à 21 h 41 min a dit :
I stayed for 4 and a half days and it was perfect for me ! It leaves room for the weather to change in case of a big storm! I wish you a great time there !