Up Helly Aa, Lerwick – Shetland

Shetland and Orkney had been domain of the Vikings from around 850 AD. In 1469 however, Princess Margaret, the 13 year old daughter of King Christian I of Denmark & Norway, was betrothed to King James III of Scotland. Her dowry was set at 6000 Guilders yet King Christian could only come up with 2000 Guilders therefore Shetland & Orkney were offered as security for the rest. The outstanding amount was never realised, so, on 20th February 1472 via an act of Parliament, both Orkney and Shetland officially became part of Scotland. Gradually Scottish culture spread throughout the islands but Norse customs and the Old Norse language have remained routed in the identity of the islanders over these many centuries. While Norse words and names are still evident the most discernible characteristic of Viking heritage are the Up Helly Aa events held throughout the Shetland archipelago from January to March every year.

The Up Helly Aa tradition began in the mid 19th century and gradually evolved into the annual festival we witness today, with many aspects still echoing the Viking celebrations of 150 years ago. Islanders are very much involved in the event and need to have been resident in Shetland for at least five years before they can even participate in a squad and the procession. To be Guizer Jarl, a member must have served at least 16 years on the committee.

The building of the Viking Galley, making Viking costumes and the thousands of torches are done by volunteers and the Jarl Squad, working tirelessly throughout the winter until everything is ready. The reveal of the Galley and the Jarl Squad is kept a secret until the big day when they step out for the first time to start the Up Helly Aa morning parades.

The evening procession incorporates 46 additional squads dressed in a variety of themes with performances choreographed in preparation for the after event parties. When darkness has descended, the squads assemble at 7pm to the sound of a Pipe Band after which the Guizer Jarl and his squad are ushered forward to the head of the parade with their Viking Longboat in tow, accompanied by the local Brass Band. All other squads then follow, marching behind them and through the town until finally reaching the Playing Field, circling the perimeter before heading to the Burning Site where the magnificent replica longboat is torched. This burning of the Galley signifies the end of the Yule period, in legendary Viking style, of course!

The festivities then move to many community halls where locals and visitors party through the night, dancing to Scottish Country Music and lapping up the entertainment provided by the guizer squads.

This celebration of Shetland’s Viking heritage is a festival unlike any other in the World. It truly is a community event with Lerwegians exuding immense pride in their uniquely special day and we found everyone to be incredibly welcoming and friendly. If you have a list of adventures you’d like to fulfil, I can highly recommend Up Helly Aa is on it!

19th Mar 2025 2

Flying Trip to Lerwick for Up Helly Aa – Shetland

When your long-time buddy is a modern day Viking and you have some Viking blood flowing through your own veins, the best way to blow away the winter blues, of course, is by attending an ancient Viking festival. I’d listened to stories of Up Helly Aa as I was growing up and was excited to finally be going to this legendary event. Anne Lise arrived in Aberdeen from Oslo and we flew together, onward to Lerwick in Shetland, on an outstandingly beautiful day for a bucket list adventure.

We’d booked into Lerwick hostel and on arrival, were greeted enthusiastically by the Manager, who showed us to our communal accommodation. He was a mine of information, providing us with details of where we needed to be and when, to make the most of our experience. He also, very kindly, insisted on driving us into town where we could find a bite to eat. Within moments of having ordered some food and sitting at our table we were surrounded by curious locals, enquiring who we were, where we were from and inviting us to a week of celebratory Up Helly Aa parties. They probably were fascinated with our mad hats! Next stop, a crowded bar that was full to bursting with good-humoured, Shetlanders, drinking and taking turns in the band that played traditional Shetland music into the early hours. Our trip couldn’t have gotten off to a more enjoyable start. What absolutely lovely folk! Back at the hostel that night, we bunked up along side fellow festival goers, two of whom were somewhat more ‘mature’ ladies. The pair seemed to have boundless energy, had been out walking all day, gone out for dinner, enjoyed the local music scene and were last to bed…and not very quiet about it either.

Up Helly Aa day and by 9.30am we were at Alexander Warf, waiting to see the Guizer Jarl and his Squad march into position for an iconic photo opportunity with their hard-wrought, beautifully crafted galley. And what a handsome band of Vikings they were. The mood was jovial and everyone was filled with elation for the day ahead. When eventually the Squad marched off to attend their community events, Anne Lise and I wandered along the Esplanade to the Market Cross then into town to browse around Lerwick’s old, narrow streets and quaint little shops. With plenty of time to spare, we also decided on exploration of the shore area, seal watching and making a fuss over loveable Shetland ponies, all the way out to Clickmin Broch (a bronze age settlement dating back to circa 400BC). The weather was wild and windy, exhilarating as we walked, filling us with anticipation for the upcoming festival to celebrate the end of Yuletide in this Viking world.

Darkness fell, the wind howled and the rain lashed but regardless, by 7pm the streets surrounding King Harald Playpark were lined with throngs of locals and visitors alike, waiting in suspense for the torchlit procession to begin. A strong smell of paraffin from hundreds of flaming torches filled the air as Guizers from 46 other squads mustered into place. The Jarl Squad was ushered through the ranks, towing the Galley with the Guizer Jarl standing magnificently at the prow while a brass band blared renditions of the ‘Up Helly Aa Song’, the ‘Galley Song’ and ‘The Norseman’s Home’. The spectacle of hundreds of Guizers with their flaring torches parading the around the streets, all singing proudly, was an unforgettable sight. Eventually, the Galley was lead into the Playground to its final repose, the Guizers spiralled around until an ultimate rendition of ‘The Norseman’s Home’, when Guizer Jarl stepped down at the very last moment and was first to hurl his torch into the longboat. With complex manoeuvring, hundreds of torches arched their way into the Galley, both an achingly sad yet breath-taking moment in this fiery comital and dispatch to Valhall. The heat was intense no matter where we were standing, everyone waiting with baited breath for the mast and then the dragon figure-head to collapse into the inferno.

With the ceremony at an end, the crowds gradually dispersed to ready themselves for whichever of the Up Helly Aa parties they were attending while the members of each squad made final preparations for their performances for the evenings attendees. Anne Lise and I had pre-arranged tickets for a ceilidh at the community centre so were thrilled to spend the rest of this incredible day being entertained by the squads and asked to dance by affable Shetlanders, into the wee small hours….

19th Mar 2025 1

Modifying the Van

My car was becoming much too cramped for a rapidly growing Millie so I decided that a van would be the perfect alternative, not just for Millie, but something that I’d always wanted and better suited for my outdoor activities. I looked at several vans and settled on a Renault Trafic then got to work adapting it to suit. My Dad was 91 at the time and as a retired carpenter, relished having a new project to get his hands on, albeit at a much slower pace in keeping with his age and hampered mobility.

1st steps – after removing the bulkhead and ripping out the filthy and broken 5mm plywood lining, I gave the van a thorough cleaning. As ventilation is paramount, fitting an air vent was the first item to be addressed. I have to say, it was probably the most stressful part of the whole exercise. Cutting a hole in a perfectly good, solid roof was nerve-wracking and absolutely had to be done right first time. After much ‘debate’ and a wee bit of swearing about measurements my Dad and I settled on drilling numerous small holes around the circumference of the area to be removed. Fortunately, the perforated area popped out easily with a quick thump from a hammer. A heavy duty file and the sander removed and smoothed the rough edges then the area was primed with rustproof paint. The vent fitted perfectly, was screwed into place and the rim, inside & out sealed with silicone to make it watertight.

Insulation – I fitted sound deadening mats which were stuck to all flat areas around the interior to reduce vibration and noise. Then, all the cavities, recesses on the walls and ceiling were filled with loft insulation, the whole lot covered over with insulating foil and fastened into place with foil tape. Ridges on the floor were filled with strips of insulating bubble foil then covered over with radiator reflective foil. (I found that using carpet adhesive spray to hold everything in place as you work, keeps all in situ as you go along).

Strapping and fitting the new ply lining – The ply flooring went down first (10mm thick, cut to shape plywood, using self tapping screws – countersunk). Then, as luck would have it my brother arrived from NZ, got his sleeves rolled up and with my Dad, set about installing the strapping for fixing the plywood lining to the inside of the van. The strapping is made up of cut to size, 40mm x 20mm battens. Using truss head, self tapping screws for better hold, 5mm ply for the ceiling was fitted into place. Lastly the walls went in (10mm cut to shape ply, fastened with countersunk self tapping screws) also acting as additional support for the ceiling. Once checked to ensure they were tight, all countersunk screws were covered over with wood filler then sanded for a good finish.

Flooring – PVA glue was painted all over the floor to seal the wood, then once dry, flock-backed vinyl flooring was cut and fitted using, again, carpet adhesive spray.

The Fixtures – my Dad made a 1950’s style mini kitchen unit using leftover wood from the battens for its frame and plywood off-cuts for the facing. It has inner shelving so affords plenty of space to store groceries, cooking equipment , utensils, plates & mugs, etc. There’s also a pull-out chopping board. The counter top of the unit had been the top of my Great Aunt’s teak dressing table which I’d been storing in my loft for a very long time and in reality, was a piece of furniture I was never going to use. I think it looks superb and I hope she wouldn’t have minded. A circular hole was cut in the left end of the counter top which my Portmerion bowl and ewer fits into nicely. The pull out sofa bed, I made using battens and 10mm x 70mm cut to length wood for the interlocking slats. The bed ends were done with more plywood. There’s ample space underneath the bed for storage where I use laundry baskets for some sort of semblance. A double foam mattress was cut to size (I found that a serrated bread knife worked best for this job) and I used 2 x king size mattress protectors as covering for the pieces needed. The bed is super comfortable, by the way!

Electrics – I studied several tutorial videos with the intention of installing leisure batteries. While I’m confident in my woodworking abilities, I cannot say the same when it comes to anything to do with electricity. In the end I shelved the idea of fitting leisure batteries and went with a much more simple option. My lighting, magnetic touch lights, is rechargeable and this can be done from the van’s 12V socket. To be honest that’s all that’s required. I have a rechargeable lamp which is only ever used as back-up and I cook with a portable gas stove. I did invest in a portable power station, however, it’s only required if I need to use my hairdryer, to perhaps recharge my in-car DVD player or charge up my mobile phone if I’ve forgotten to plug it into the 12V socket while driving. For me, keeping it simple works best.

Other Items – The most useful item I purchased was a Porta Potti. Not having to desperately find a place ‘to go’ or not having to trudge to campsite toilets during the night (especially if it’s raining) is nothing short of bliss. If you have space for it, definitely buy one. A rechargeable camping shower was a gift from my Son, so if I haven’t been for a cold water swim or need to wash my hair, then it’s certainly a great little item.

Reading this back, it all sounds so incredibly straight forward. However, if you’re going to modify your own van, bear in mind there are always going to be challenges in a project like this so be sure to plan everything out and take your time, especially in making sure your measurements are correct. Mistakes can be costly.

23rd Feb 2025 0