Women and girls make history at Up Helly Aa fire festival

Shetland's famous Up Helly Aa fire festival has seen the traditional dramatic burning of a replica Viking galley.

For the first time in the event's 143-year-old history, women and girls joined the main "squad" at the head of the torchlit procession through Lerwick.

Up Helly Aa - the biggest fire festival in Europe - is held on the last Tuesday in January.

The annual event sees people celebrate Shetland's Norse heritage.

Girls formed part of the main Viking Squad

The Jarl Squad lit the galley during the celebration in Lerwick

Chief Viking - or Guizer Jarl as he is know - Richard Moar had 16-year-old daughter Jenna by his side.

Females had traditionally been restricted to participating as hostesses.

This involved organising the all-night parties that take place in community halls across the Shetland capital.

But organisers agreed to lift the gender restrictions for the main torchlit procession last year and allowed females to take part.

The decision followed a campaign dating back to the 1980s.

This year's event was seen as an important step for women in the event

Chief Viking Richard Moar with daughter Jenna by his side

Torches snaked through the streets of Lerwick

The galley was led through the streets to a burning site

The main event ended with the burning of the replica Viking galley

The celebrations culminated in the burning of a replica Viking galley which lit up the Lerwick sky.