Old Photographs Up Helly Aa Lerwick Shetland

Old photograph of a Viking Galley during Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Old photograph of Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland. The present Lerwick celebration grew out of the much older yule tradition of tar barrelling which took place at Christmas and New Year as well as Up Helly Aa. Squads of young men would drag barrels of burning tar through town on sledges, making mischief. After the abolition of tar barrelling around 1874–1880, permission was eventually obtained for torch processions. The first yule torch procession took place in 1876. The first torch celebration on Up Helly Aa day took place in 1881. The first galley was burned in 1889.

Old photograph of a Viking Galley during Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Old photograph of a Viking Galley during Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Old photograph of a Viking Galley on fire during Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Old photograph of Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.