Port authority confirms Up Helly Aa cruise visit called off due to weather
LERWICK Port Authority has confirmed that the cruise ship planned to arrive in the town on Tuesday for Up Helly Aa will no longer visit Shetland due to weather conditions.
Fred Olsen’s Balmoral ship was due to arrive in Lerwick from Norway on Tuesday morning before departing after the Up Helly Aa procession at night.
It can carry up to 1,250 passengers, and as of 15 January there were more than 1,000 people are booked on.
There had been some concern raised over the impact the influx of visitors would have had on the event, particularly the torch-lit procession at night.
But Fred Olsen told Shetland News earlier this month it had a range of measures in place.
This included bringing in extra buses from Aberdeen, and providing information about Up Helly Aa to passengers, including routes, maps and safety advice – and guidance on respecting the procession.
Fred Olsen had advertised for a similar journey in 2020, which would have taken place in January the following year, but it was cancelled due to Covid.
The windy weather resulted in three days of ferry cancellations on the Aberdeen-Lerwick NorthLink service earlier in the week, but it has now resumed.
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