Thousands of people are expected to brave the cold to watch Shetland's world famous Up Helly Aa fire festival.

The event in Lerwick ends in the burning of a Viking longship by a 1000-strong procession of armour-clad guizers.

The parade, which begins at 7.30pm on Tuesday, will be led by a jarl squad in full Viking armour, headed up by 2016 guizer jarl Mark Evans.

The jarl squad will visit the British Legion, Bressay Ferry Terminal and the Shetland Museum before the burning at Hillhead.

Up Helly Aa celebrations are held across the islands in places including Scalloway, Northmavine, Norwick, Bressay and Cullivoe.

Five things you might not know about Up Helly Aa...

· Up Helly Aa is a relatively modern event – the first festival was held in the 1870s and Viking longboats weren’t introduced until the late 1880s.

· There is an Up Helly Aa for children with its own jarl squad and longboat. The Junior Up Helly Aa has been held in Lerwick every year since 1956.

· Primary school teacher Lesley Simpson became the first female guizer jarl at the South Mainland Up Helly Aa in 2015.

· Guizer jarls are picked years in advance – Brydon Gray will lead a procession through Lerwick in 2031.

· Up Helly Aa was cancelled in 1901 following the death of Queen Victoria and put on hold during the First and Second World Wars. It was delayed because of the deaths of George V and Winston Churchill.