Eternal Flame

A blazing tradition keeps the past alive in Shetland's winter darkness

- RACHEL MCCONACHIE

UPHELLY AA is one of the most spectacular festivals in the UK. It is a night of performance, fiery torches and Viking longships set ablaze, illuminating the dark winter skies of Shetland.

While Lerwick's parade is the most famous, the festival exists across the islands in smaller communities, where the focus is just as much on local pride and participation as it is on spectacle.

Former MSP Tavish Scott knows this world from the inside. He once stepped in as guizer jarl - the leader of a Viking squad - at the last minute, and he has spent a lifetime involved in Up Helly Aa.

Across Shetland - from the southernmost tip to the far north - community events begin in early January and continue into March. They receive little publicity - and they prefer it that way.

Tavish's involvement started early, long before politics.

He joined again later in life, and he even took part in the main Lerwick squad while serving as Scotland's Transport Minister. That meant a full year with a beard, which raised eyebrows in Holyrood.

Beard or not, stepping into the role of guizer jarl feels important, whether in Lerwick or a tiny island event.