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Up Helly Aa, Shetland Isles (Credit: VisitScotland/Luigi Di Pasquale)
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Up Helly Aa

By Janice Armstrong

Image provided by Smartify

This audio forms part of a series of audio interviews conducted in 2022 by Smartify as part of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project. Listen and discover the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands through the eyes of the people who live, work and visit here.

In this recording, learn about the awe-inspiring Up Helly Aa Festival with Janice Armstrong - an annual celebration of local history and a demonstration of the spirit of community on the Shetland Isles.

...this festival it's like sparking the turn of the season...the energy that's going into the spring.

HEAR MORE FROM JANICE ARMSTRONG