On the morning of Up-Helly-Aa, the day begins with the first sighting of the Galley or Viking longship as she emerges from the galley shed at Urafirth, this is where she is built during the long winter months. She is taken by trailer, along the mile and a half road to Hillswick where if weather permits she is anchored off the beach at the waterfront. The Up-Helly-Aa Bill is a proclamation artistically written, below a beautifully painted Billhead, this is usually a picturesque scene from somewhere in the locality of the Jarl and always incorporates something Norse like a striking Viking warrior or a galley. The small skits, hearsays and rhymes about local happenings over the past year are eagerly anticipated each year, although, some people must tremble before reading its text.

Thankfully, it is generally taken in good fun and for some; it is almost an honour to be decried in the Bill! The sailing of the galley takes place in the early afternoon, if weather permits, this is when the Jarl and his squad of Vikings have returned from visiting the three local schools, whose pupils are given the afternoon off so they can be at Hillswick to watch as the Jarl and his warriors are photographed with his galley before she is taken ashore and made ready for the finale.

In the evening, it is an amazing spectacle when the torches are lit and the procession starts. Each guizer carrying a flaming torch and singing, marches off behind the Jarl and his squad of Vikings, who pull their longship over a quarter of a mile along a country road from the Hillswick Hall until they reach the shores of the Wadill loch, close to the sea at Urafirth. Here the galley is set adrift as everybody throws his or her torch into the ship to set it alight. At this point, all the guizers sing the Norseman's Home, a Nordic style of song praising the medieval Norse heroes, as the galley looks like a ceremonial funeral pyre.

Following the burning of the Viking galley, events move to the local halls where the celebrations continue. The halls are family affairs with the young and the old present. About 15 squads of guizers arrive in turn and perform their acts before moving onto the next hall. Between each performance, traditional dance bands provides music and the dancing, eating and sometimes partaking of the odd strong refreshment will continue into the wee small hours of Saturday morning.

Northmavine's Up-Helly-Aa is not as big as the one held in Lerwick, but the celebrations are every bit as enjoyable. Northmavine held an Up-Helly-Aa into the 1930's when it discontinued during the war years. It was 1975 before Northmavine resumed celebrating the return of the sun, but once more, it is an annual event and held, on the third Friday of February each year. Sullom, Hillswick, Eshaness, North Roe and Ollaberry, with all the hamlets in between come together each year to elect a Jarl or Viking Earl and organise this local Up-Helly-Aa. Districts take it in turn to have the Guiser Jarl represent them and it is a great honour to be chosen for this role. About 20 or 30 of the Jarls friends and neighbours will act as his Viking warriors and accompany the Jarl for this special night. Virtually a whole year goes into preparing the costumes and tunics, which they wear on the night, but the most work is in making helmets, and the beautiful shields and swords or axes that each member of the Jarl's squad carries.

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