Up Helly Aa

[Mr Pee]

This isn't the final scene of Gotterdammerung, it's a stunning image from the recent Up Helly Aa festival in the Shetland Islands:-



Link to the full gallery:-

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/02/up-helly-aa/100453/

I would love to go to this one year, before the Health and Safety brigade decide it's too dangerous. Has anybody ever been? Or visited the Shetlands? I'd be interested to hear your impressions of the place.

[DracoM]

Yes and yes.
Shetland is very Scandinavian, very hospitable, and pretty wealthy.
Up Helly Aa is weirdly rumbustious, loud, mix of drunken revelry by night, ancient ritual, and fantastic music. If you go, book very early. Orkney is, of course, fabulous in every sense of the word too, so both really worth a visit.

Don't fly to either: must go by sea. Pass Fair Isle on the way.

[amateur51]

Yes and yes.
Shetland is very Scandinavian, very hospitable, and pretty wealthy.
Up Helly Aa is weirdly rumbustious, loud, mix of drunken revelry by night, ancient ritual, and fantastic music. If you go, book very early. Orkney is, of course, fabulous in every sense of the word too, so both really worth a visit.

Don't fly to either: must go by sea. Pass Fair Isle on the way.

In these dramatic photographs I can see adult men and male children having a great time but females appear to be confined to male hair-braiding.

Is this an accurate representation of a limited appeal?

[Mr Pee]

Yes and yes.
Shetland is very Scandinavian, very hospitable, and pretty wealthy.
Up Helly Aa is weirdly rumbustious, loud, mix of drunken revelry by night, ancient ritual, and fantastic music. If you go, book very early. Orkney is, of course, fabulous in every sense of the word too, so both really worth a visit.

Don't fly to either: must go by sea. Pass Fair Isle on the way.

Thank you, Draco.

[Frances_iom]

Pass Fair Isle on the way.

why pass Fair Isle - memories of a voyage in Good Shepherd IV will stay with you for life

[Mr Pee]

why pass Fair Isle - memories of a voyage in Good Shepherd IV will stay with you for life

Just googled Good Shepherd IV, and I am sure you are right! Thank you for the suggestion.

[Frances_iom]

Just googled Good Shepherd IV, and I am sure you are right! Thank you for the suggestion.

personal knowledge - the currents around there are 'interesting' and in a small vessel more interesting still!

[MrGongGong]

Has anybody ever been? Or visited the Shetlands? I'd be interested to hear your impressions of the place.

Wonderful place
they have just opened a new arts centre
but my Shetland friends say that the "Blue Peter" festival is a bit of an invention
and given the lack of trees would consider it a waste of wood

[teamsaint]

Would really love to go to Orkney. Preferably via train and ferry.
But my annual holiday entitlement is only 5 weeks.

Incidentally, there are some great "advance" train deals to Inverness, which leaves you just 110 miles shy of the ferry !!
(I know , there is a train as far as Wick...).

[MrGongGong]

Would really love to go to Orkney. Preferably via train and ferry.
But my annual holiday entitlement is only 5 weeks.

Incidentally, there are some great "advance" train deals to Inverness, which leaves you just 110 miles shy of the ferry !!
(I know , there is a train as far as Wick...).

I went to Shetland for 2 days
on one occasion
flew there
did gig
ate fish
flew home

[amateur51]

Would really love to go to Orkney. Preferably via train and ferry.
But my annual holiday entitlement is only 5 weeks.

Incidentally, there are some great "advance" train deals to Inverness, which leaves you just 110 miles shy of the ferry !!
(I know , there is a train as far as Wick...).

The train journey from Glasgow to Inverness is one of the great British train journies passing through some wonderful countryside and past whisky distilleries with huge barrels emblazoned with famous names

[teamsaint]

I went to Shetland for 2 days
on one occasion
flew there
did gig
ate fish
flew home

Phew, Rock n roll !!
Sounds good though.

[MrGongGong]

Phew, Rock n roll !!
Sounds good though.

wonderful place
I returned about 6 months later with Huun Huur Tu and had a wonderful time

[vinteuil]

wonderful place
I returned about 6 months later with Huun Huur Tu and had a wonderful time

Huun Huur Tu at Up Helly Aa?


Snouds as thoguh shomeone's using BBM' spellcheckre...

[Frances_iom]

The shortest ferry link to Orkney is via Scrabster (a short bus ride from Thurso) - that to Orkney + Shetland is from Aberdeen (overnight to Shetland - highly recommend the boat) + and easy walk from Rail Station to a very civilsed Ferry terminal
Both Island groups are well worth a visit - quite different in nature though both sharing a Norse background - you need at least 2 weeks to gain even a flavour