On the last Tuesday of January, the tiny village of Lerwick bursts into a blazing effigy, filling the dark winter skies with fire and smoke. The event is Up Helly Aa, Europe's largest fire festival and the location is the Shetland Islands - an area considered very remote even by Scottish standards. The Up Helly Aa festival is not to simply provide heat on a cold night; it provides the citizens the opportunity to demonstrate their strong spirit and willingness to carry on tradition. Visitors bathed in light and heat so intense it's hard to believe they are in the wilds of the near-Arctic, appreciate the sense of history and understand the strong ties that the Shetlands have with Norse (Scandinavian) and Viking legends.

The Up Helly Aa festival celebrates the arrival of the vikings in the Shetlands over a 1000 years ago, and it has been occurring for over 100 years. The events begin at 7:30 – well after dark in this part of the world come January – when the Guizer Jarl, who is the primary Viking figure in these proceeding, makes his appearance. He will have spent the day visiting schools and hospitals, singing songs and making speeches in preparation for the evenings events. The Guizer Jarl, with his typically long beard and imposing costume, is surrounded by hundreds of men, called guizers, also dressed in various distinct costumes, carrying burning torches. The scene is imposing, as if a land invasion has happened on the island and the players are about to be taken hostage.

The squads gather around the Guizer Jarl as he makes one last speech to the huddled crowd. In the middle of them is the Galley, a full-size replica of a Viking warship. The mood intensifies as the squads and the Guizer Jarl begin to sing the traditional Up Hella Aa song. Then, as a single firework dots the sky, a roar fills the air as the torches being carried by the guizers are thrown into the Galley. In a matter of seconds, the entire wooden structure is engulfed into flames, to the amazement of the spectators. A sense of satisfaction fills the eyes of the Guizer Jarl while the guizers shout and jump with glee. However, the festivities are far from over.

Following the burning of the Galley, the guizers sing another traditional Viking song, the “Norsemans Home”, before departing to visit the halls. The halls are simply large rooms where guests have gathered to dance and drink the night away. The festive and unique atmosphere of Up Helly is highlighted by visits from the guizer squads, who are required to visit every single hall and dance with the guests. This time-consuming task takes most of the night and continues in to the early hours of the morning of the next day.

Getting to Shetland can be as much of an adventure as the Up Helly festival itself. Loganair is the main air carrier in operation on the island, flying between all major Scottish airports such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen to Sumburgh, which is approximately 30 miles south of Lerwick. However, most travelers will find themselves on the Northlink Ferries service from Aberdeen to Lerwick. Keep in mind this is a lengthy overnight crossing so be prepared for sleeping airline-style in possibly rough seas.