Independent furniture retailer Muddy Bay has celebrated the recent Up Helly Aa as part of its annual community festival.

Between January and March every year, communities across Shetland come together for a series of spectacular and unique fiery celebrations.

The Up Helly Aa fire festivals are amongst the biggest annual celebrations in Shetland, inspired by its Viking past.

As part of the celebrations, the islands come together for a night of Viking dress up, burning torches, music and dancing while the shops, like Muddy Bay, get into the spirit of all things Viking.

During the period, there are 11 Up Helly Aa’s held across Shetland, with the biggest fire festival in Lerwick that takes place on the last Tuesday in January every year.

For Muddy Bay, which is based in Lerwick, owners Stuart and Debbie Leask enjoyed the festival and played homage to the communities Viking roots. “For us personally, we only had a viewing role this year taking in the Viking procession in the morning and seeing the torch lit parade at night with the burning of the Galley.

“Our delivery guys are more involved with Robbie in a squad and Richard helping in one of the local community halls throughout the night. Our son Wayne is pictured standing next to the Galley. He works with us in our Shetland Mobility section.

“Before the event I managed to get the Guizer Jarl (Chief Executive of Lerwick Port Authority) to have a wee photo in a Stressless chair! With the chairs being produced in Norway it ties in with the Viking element very nicely!”