In pictures: Spectacular Up Helly Aa festival returns after two-year absence
Shetland was once again the setting for the spectacular Up Helly Aa festival as Vikings returned to the island after a two-year absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event, which attracts visitors from across the world, sees folk dress as Vikings to march through the streets of Lerwick in a celebration of the region’s Norse history.
The march is led by the Guizer Jarl, or Viking chief, who leads his Jarl squad on the march and culminates in the evening with a torch-lit procession and a replica longboat being set alight.