The other Up Helly Aa, Lerwick

Last night marked the third Up Helly Aa (Fire Festival) this year, the first in Scalloway and second the junior Up Helly Aa in Lerwick

The weather last night was very cold and icy underfoot with fresh snow having fallen a few hours before.

Visitor came and watched, many from America, Canada, Australia, Norway, Sweden, France and Spain to name a few

But this year I went to see the other side of Up Helly Aa, the displays in the shop windows around the town and they didn't disappoint. If you are coming to the next one spent a hour or two looking round.

It was good to see a large variation in the battle dress. Lots of shields, axes and helmets and a good number of small galley .

Its a time for celebration, the squads may have been out for 24 hours before the final event, a survivors breakfast served at a number of hotels. But virtually straight away work begins on the next Up Helly Aa in 2020.

On a different front, by October a new ferry company will be in place and who knows what they will offer. The plan is for more cabins, better freight service and generally more sea worth ships and hopefully the reduction in fares that they told us about a long time ago

For those that don't know, the new  BBC 1 Shetland drama starts on the 12 February and I cannot wait, the last series was a lot better and was more Shetland based than the previous one. Pity they don't include more Shetland people.

We are still waiting for new neighbours, they moved out the week before Christmas but the council have not been in as yet. We are fortunate that we don't have people living on the streets and the council lists are much smaller than down south.

I have just started a new Facebook group- Shetland Clouds, come and join us as well as on Shetland Aurora Hunter

#Shetland Aurora Hunter, #Up Helly aa, #BBC1 Shetland Drama, #Lerwick, #Shetland

Father Christmas in Shetland

The days in Shetland are now drawing out although its been mainly cloudy recently so we haven't seen much benefit

There is still much debate with the Shetland Fishing fleet as to whether there will be any benefit when we leave the EU. Most think the government will just use fishing rights as a give a way.

A large number of foreign fishing boats have now left Lerwick and have gone back fishing

Lerwick at the end of the day

Lifeboat ready for action

Low winter light in Scalloway

We do get some beautiful clouds in Shetland, join us on facebook at Shetland Clouds

Its not Christmas in Shetland until Father Christmas fly's past in the Coastguard Helicopter. They cover most of the south part of Shetland but this year didn't really stay long in Sandwick, they may have been called back to base.

Shetland celebrated its second Christmas a few days ago with Foula and a few other spots working off the Julian calendar.

The Up Helly Aa season kicked off yesterday with the Scalloway fire festival. The Jarl squad was larger than normal and made visits, in the rain, to a number of homes, schools and youth clubs in Scalloway.

The big one, in Lerwick will take place on the 29 January, just hope the weather is dry

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New Year gales in Shetland

The New Year was brought in with some very stormy weather with gusts recorded at 75mph, just over Hurricane force (73 mph). Coming in from the west it was  noisy trying to get to sleep as it hit our  bedroom.

 The Good Shepherd sets sail for fair Isle in string winds

The following day  we woke to found out it had ripped up two of our rosebushes but no other damage. However facebook was littered with people saying that power had been off for at least two hours to the north of Lerwick and up to Unst.

We have experienced worse wind since moving to Shetland in 2014, last year it reached 102 mph and the year before that 120 mph. While that's strong it cannot compare to the New year storm of 1991/92 when two people were killed as they sheltered in a hut on Hermaness.


The hut ended a mile away as winds gusts reached 173 mph before the equipment blew away and then at 194 mph out on an oil rig to the North east of Shetland.

The following year, in January the Braer hit rocks down at Quendale . That year broke records for having 25 days of gale force winds in the month, including 10 days of Force 10 winds or above, and 18 consecutive days of gale force winds.

 The Queen's hotel gets battered by a storm

I do like getting out in a storm if its safe, rough seas are great to view from land but I wouldn't like to be out at sea in these conditions

Just seen weather forecast for Monday and it looks like Shetland will be getting winds up to80 mph

 Last three the Sletts , Lerwick

All photos are available on canvas.

I have a new facebook group- Shetland Clouds just send me a request to join

Only a couple of places left on my photography course which starts on the 14 January, you will need to book direct with Shetland Adult Education, but don't leave it along