Hundreds of revellers partied through the night in Lerwick as locals and visitors came together for the 24-hour long Up Helly Aa celebrations.
As soon as the galleys head fell, the attention of the near 1,000 strong procession of guizers turned to finding the nearest venue to quench their thirst and put on a show for the gathered audiences.
And some tourists even took their chances by skipping accommodation to take in the full celebration in order to indulge in the rich Viking heritage of the Shetland Islands.
Guizers dressed in an array of outfits performed unique dances to packed halls – most of which have been a closely guarded secret for the best part of a year – with one group depicting the Brexit saga, described as “a final countdown” ahead of the historic day later this week when Britain will cut its ties with the European Union.
The streets were deserted as daylight broke, with slight appearances of life as the odd guizer or deshelled Viking in near full regalia navigated the narrows to head for home after an eventful night of partying.
Brothers Vinny and Andy Walterson decided to call it a day at 8am after taking in the night’s celebration at halls dotted around the town.
Vinny said: “I have not been up to Up Helly Aa for 24 years but I have really enjoyed it again.
“When I was younger I would come all the time but since then commitments with family, it hasn’t been as easy.
“It’s just been great.”
Deserted streets around the town hall lit up again briefly, as guizers heading home or to cafes brought snippets of action around the cold morning snap.
However, it all got a bit too much for one member of the Jarl Squad who headed for home to get his head down for a few hours kip before returning to celebrate later in the day.
Steven Hutton, for whom it was his first time as part of the Jarl Squad, said it was “one of the best days of the year by far”.
The 28-year-old, who struggled to speak due to losing his voice, added: “It’s just been brilliant. Marching through the town, visiting the schools, the care homes and the hospitals – the whole aspect of Up Helly Aa is amazing.”
Teenagers Thea Sutherland, Jem Tait and Katie Gerrard made full use of their youth as they headed for breakfast and intended to carry on partying throughout the day.
Miss Sutherland said: “It’s just been amazing. It is like Shetland’s Christmas.”
There was even high praise from police as Chief Inspector Lindsay Tulloch, the area commander for Shetland, said the night went off without a hitch as no incidents were reported.
He said: “I have to thank Shetlanders for making visitors feel so welcome and the organising committee for another great year of Up Helly Aa.”
The day after Up-Helly-Aa is traditionally a rest day in the town with only the most essential workers expected to be hangover-free and available for duty, as a handful of workers removed the burnt remains of the galley into a skip signalling the end of the fire festival for 2020.
With most shops due to reopen tomorrow, attention now will turn to next year for the committee as they try to top the celebrations and deliver an even more memorable Up Helly Aa.
