Lynden Nicolson (C), the ‘Guizer Jarl’ of the Up Helly AA Jarl Squad, joins other members as they gather before parading through the streets in Lerwick, Shetland Islands on January 27, 2026, before the Up Helly Aa festival later in the day. Up Helly Aa celebrates the influence of the Scandinavian Vikings in the Shetland Islands and culminates with up to 1,000 `guizers` (men in costume) throwing flaming torches into their Viking longboat and setting it alight later in the evening. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)