Shetland Isles

Every January, on the last Tuesday, one of the biggest fire festivals in Europe is held in Lerwick. Around 1000 “Vikings” cross the town on the dark winter night with their torches lit, following their captain and their Viking ship as far as their chosen site for the annual fire sacrifice!

We will be kidnaped by the magic of Vikings, the beauty of the Shetland Isles, the ocean waves breaking on the high cliffs and by the indescribable northern lights, The Aurora Borealis.

It will be a week where we’ll learn the history that surrounds these islands, from the search for Celtic and Viking sites hidden on the moors, to arrive ready for the last day of the festival called Up Helly Aa!

In this season, the islands are a place for winter retirement for many species of animals native to the far north. The crowded summer colonies are replaced by hundreds of timid species that are rarely seen. The magic of nature is rich in winter too, and the mountain hare wears his enchanting white coat, often when there isn’t any snow. Here in fact the snow rarely settles, and contrary to what one usually thinks, the average temperature is milder than northern Italy.

The Shetland Islands are surrounded by seas abounding with fish and the coast is home to a vast concentration of grey seal and common seal, that over time have got used to the presence of man.  Thanks to this abundance in food, the notorious killer whale has learnt to hunt in these waters, arriving at times at only a short distance from the coast and even in Lerwick harbour. We’ll take advantage of every opportunity  to look for  the Otter, rarely seen in the rest of Europe but here he has found an ideal habitat..

And when darkness falls, with a bit of luck, we will take part in one of the most incredible spectacles created by  mother nature, the Aurora Borealis.