Walls Brownies Up Helly Aa - 2019

In the west mainland village of Walls, from 1990 the Brownies and Scouts have held their own version, which has grown into a real community affair.

The Brownies organise the event. The children and their families make their costumes from scratch, and the galley – built by a local craftsman and reused each year – is led in a torchlit procession.

The Jarl squad of young girls parade their wooden galley and blazing torches from the local hall to the kirk-yard for the burning, where wood is piled into a specially made metal galley to be burned.

They then return to the hall for an evening of fun including acts, a supper and country dancing. The junior Jarl squad is joined by other squads made up of anyone who wishes to put on an act: drama groups, squads from other fire festivals and community members.