A Viking Fire Parade Lights Up Scotland

On the remote Shetland Islands of Scotland, the ancient Norse-inspired festival of Up Helly Aa has commenced, featuring a spectacular nighttime parade of hundreds of costumed “Vikings” marching through the streets of Lerwick.

The festival celebrates the islands’ deep Scandinavian heritage, stemming from over 500 years of Norse rule, and culminates in a dramatic fiery finale where up to a thousand participants, known as “guizers,” hurl their flaming torches into a massive, hand-built replica of a Viking longship, setting it ablaze in a symbolic send-off to the afterlife.

This breathtaking inferno, one of Europe’s largest fire festivals, is a century-old tradition that marks the end of the dark winter and welcomes the returning light of spring, transforming the Scottish town into a vibrant Viking stronghold for one unforgettable night.