Splendid weather for festival

The Nesting & Girlsta Jarl's Squad.

It would be fair to say the Nesting and Girlsta Up-Helly-A’ has not always enjoyed the best of weather, but the Norse Gods were surely smiling on yesterday’s event.

A calm, still day greeted the 38-strong Jarl’s Squad as the gathered in the morning for the day’s proceedings, led by Guizer Jarl Dean Gilfillan (aka Sigurd the Mighty).

With 33 senior members, 13 juniors and two princesses, the squad included many people from the Whitness and Weisdale area, where the jarl hails from.

Also present were the jarl’s niece and brother-in-law from Inverness while his two cousins from Norway were the farthest travelled for the occasion.

The squad visited various schools and senior citizens during the day, before a rest at the Bixter hall at tea time for food prepared by Marion and Anderson and her team.

The procession began at 7.30pm and the galley burned brightly before the rounds of the halls began at 9pm.

For a full report and more photos see next week’s Shetland Times.