Northmavine Up Helly Aa

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

About the Festival

2011 Jarl's Squad on galley at the Booth. Photo by Kozetland1.

The Northmavine Up Helly Aa was first celebrated in 1975 with Peter Sinclair the first Guizer Jarl. An Up Helly Aa in the area was also held at Hillswick in 1912 and 1913, but was discontinued with the outbreak of World War One and did not re-start following the end of the war.

The festival is held on the third Friday of February each year and follows an established pattern of events during the day. The years galley (a new one is constructed and burnt each year), and the proclamation are on display from the early morning outside the Booth at Hillswick. After breakfast the Jarl's squad visit the Northmavine schools - Urafirth Primary School, Ollaberry Primary School and North Roe Primary School. After lunch the Jarl’s squad return to Hillswick around 3pm for a photo session with the galley.

The evening procession starts from outside the Hillswick Public Hall. Guizers assemble at 7.30pm for light up at 8pm and the torchlit procession along with the galley, heads north along the road past Swarthoull, towards the loch at Urafirth (The Wadill), where the galley is burned floating on the loch.

Each year, 3 of the 4 local halls - Hillswick Public Hall, Ollaberry Hall, North Roe and Lochend Hall and Sullom & Gunnister Public Hall, are used for the evening events with the hall not used on Up Helly Aa day hosting the Hop Night the following day. Each of the 4 halls take turns to host Up Helly Aa. Around 15 squads of guizers participate in the festival each year and go from hall to hall through the night performing their acts. As with the other ‘country’ Up Helly Aa festivals, Northmavine welcomes men and women into the squads. The following weekend, the guizers and those directly involved in the Up Helly Aa can attend a ‘Return Night’, where each of the squads can see each other’s acts.

Northmavine Up Helly Aa by Year

Northmavine Up Helly Aa 2012
Northmavine Up Helly Aa 2011
Northmavine Up Helly Aa 2010

Northmavine Guizer Jarl’s by Year

Articles on the events from 2010 are available by clicking on the year links.

2010 Jarl Brydon Anderson (right) and some of his squad
The 'Northmavine Berserkers'.
Photo by Kozetland1.

2011 Jarl Ian Nicolson on his Galley
Photo by Kozetland1.

Year	Name	Representing	Galley Name
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975	Mark Kearney Ian Nicolson Brydon Anderson Ivan Goodlad John Scollay Neil Doull Ivor Hughson No Festival William John Anderson Angus Sandison Ivor Duncan George Robertson Ewan Mowat Derek Robertson LaurieClark Peter Brown Addie Doull Martin Gilbertson Alasdair Stuart Bert Ratter Bruce Stephen Maurice Peterson John Jamieson David Williamson David Murray Peter Duncan Willie Brown Alistair Williamson Bertie Ratter Angus Copland John Robertson Kenny Doull Ronnie Johnson Jamie Manson Douglas Murray Bob Copland Bobby Mowat Peter Sinclair	Thorkill Haraldson Njordr Northmavine Berserkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Solheimavagr (Sullom Voe) Höulma Sund Baresark Feroalangur Asak Sjø Ulf Hankavaar no festival Kuppel A Kada Arvi Taing Øhreadd Maurildi Laxsfiskaren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jarl's Squad Shields

Northmavine Jarl's squad shields are on display in the Sullom & Gunnister Public Hall. A small number are also on display (along with some axes), in the St. Magnus Bay Hotel dining room. Photos by Kozetland1.