|
Hundreds of locals and visitors, some dressed as Vikings, descended upon Corrie and Sannox on Saturday to celebrate the annual Uphellya festival.
Instead of the long running Corrie Capers, villagers now celebrate the Arran Viking Festival.
Despite the awful weather during the day, the turnout for the events was superb as many people from across Arran travelled to the east side of the island to help the people of Corrie and Sannox celebrate their summer event.
The celebration got underway at 8.30pm as the procession left Corrie Village Hall bound for Sannox.
Uphellya is a re-enactment of an ancient Viking tradition and has become a highly popular event on Arran.
The celebration takes the shape of a march along to Sannox shore with a ‘Viking Longship’ being towed by a vehicle.
The procession culminates in torches being thrown onto the Longship as it burns on top of a huge bonfire. The galley must face seaward in an echo of Viking burials to send the spirits of the deceased to the afterlife.
The evening then drew to a close with some less traditional Rock ‘n’ Roll from the Newsband and Ice in the Fire.
Such is the popularity of the festival that Viking enthusiasts are travelling from across Britain to attend.
Adrian Fallows and his daughter Donna travel from Kent each summer to dress up in traditional Viking costumes at the event.
He told The Banner that he regularly takes part in battle re-enactments dressed as Robert the Bruce or Roman Centurion but he really enjoys attending the Arran Viking Festival.





