First fire festival of the long, dark winter to light up Scottish island

The first of Shetland’s Viking fire festivals of the season will get under way this weekend.

Thousands of people are due to attend the Scalloway Fire Festival on the west coast of the Shetland mainland on Friday - more than two weeks ahead of Up Helly Aa in Lerwick.

The event will climax with the torchlit procession, led by the Guizer Jarl, and the burning of the Viking-style galley boat, which will be set on fire and pushed into the water at Port Arthur in a blaze of glory.

John William, 48, a sailor, will serve as the Guizer Jarl this year and will lead up to 300 guizers - including women - through the village.

Mr William said: “Being the Guizer Jarl is a huge deal. It is not something you get to do twice.

“I have known for nine years that this year would be my turn.

“It is a very important role in the community but you are representing not just Scalloway but Shetland to the world. We are putting on a real show.”

The Scalloway Fire Festival is one of 10 events held throughout Shetland between now and March with the events celebrating the Norse heritage of the islands while bringing heat, light and celebration throughout the long winter nights.

Mr William said people were due from all over Shetland for the first fire festival of the year.

He added: “People always want to come and see and support the first of the season. Thousands of people come from across the island.

“Every festival is totally unique. We don’t compete with each other, we all help each other out. All the festivals are a huge support to each other. Each one is important.

“Everyone takes pride in the history but you are also trying to make it fun and celebrate. It is about the music, it is about the suits we wear.

“It is also something to do and focus on over winter. It is really dark and wet and cold out there.”

Around 300 guizers will take part in the torchlit procession for Scalloway Fire Festival on Friday night. PIC: Dave Donaldson. | Dave Donaldson

Great pride is taken in the details of the celebration, which is almost a year in the planning with the first meeting held for the next fire festival in February.

The details of the Guizer Jarl’s suit of leather and sheepskin are revealed to the public for the first time when Mr William meets his Jarl Squads at 8am at the Scalloway Boating Club on Friday.

The squads will then tour the village, visiting schools and the elderly, with the torchlit procession due to begin around 7pm with the Guizer Jarl leading the parade in the galley boat, which is pulled on a trailer. After reaching Scalloway Boat Club, it will then be set on fire and pushed into the water.

Mr William said: “Throughout the whole event at multiple times, you stop and look - and you are speechless. It is like being a kid at Christmas all over again.”

After the boat burning, the evening celebrations begin with the Jarl Squads touring parties held in five village halls - Bridge End, Hamnavoe, Tingwall, Scalloway Hall, Scalloway Legion and Scalloway Boating Club - for dancing, fun and food.

Each squad will do a turn in the halls with Mr William’s squad singing two songs - the traditional Up Helly Aa song and then Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re Not Going to Take It’.

The circuit will end back at the boat club around 4am.

Mr William said it was a long night, but added: “It’s amazing what all those cups of tea and bowls of tattie soup can do.”

The celebration then continues on Saturday, which is known as Hop Day.