The Burn

Up Helly Aa is a Shetland tradition. It involves spending many months building a Viking-style long boat, parading through the streets behind the boat brandishing flaming torches, and once a suitable beach has been reached throwing the torches into the boat as it floats gently away from the beach.

The South Mainland Up Helly Aa was held this evening in Cunningsburgh, with the boat burnt on Mail Beach.

At the end of the evening I picked out these two individuals watching the flames start to die down..

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There are more pictures from the evening on Flickr.