Explore magical misty isles in the wild North Atlantic
Between Norway, Iceland and Britain's northern isles, you’ll find the faraway Faroes. These islands fly under the tourist radar, appealing to the more adventurous traveller with their windswept beauty, Nordic history, and colourful bird life.
The 18 major islands of this archipelago are a picture of plunging headlands and mist-quenched hills, where small farms and fishing communities shelter. Fewer than 60,000 people live here, most with Viking heritage. While the islanders are citizens of Denmark, the Faroese have their own identity, and even their own language – descended from Old Norse and a sister of the Icelandic tongue.
In the historic streets of the Faroes’ capital, Tórshavn, you can see traditional wood buildings topped by sod roofs. Some of these turf houses belong to one of the world’s oldest parliaments: the Løgting (‘Law Thing’). Here and throughout the Faroes, you can tour the tranquil streets, sample the freshest seafood, and admire the unassuming wood and stone churches (kirkjur).
The Faroe landscape is astounding, with snow-dusted promontories that sweep down into silvery ocean and dwarf the colourful timber houses on their edges. Imagine endless, treeless hills, speckled by hardy wildflowers and equally hardy Faroese sheep, wreathed in sea mist and rolling fog – for which there are dozens of local names.
Isolation and an absence of land mammals have made these rugged islands a safe haven for breeding seabirds. In summer, more than a million puffins colonise the green slopes here, nesting in burrows and flashing their fabulous orange bills. Guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and the onomatopoeically named kittiwake nest on the steep sea cliffs. Other bird species you may spot include oyster catchers, merlin falcons, whimbrels and black-tailed godwits. For this reason, birdwatching is one of the best things to do in the Faroes.
Our Europe experts can arrange your dedicated Faroe Islands holiday. Alternatively, combine it with a holiday to Iceland, Norway or Sweden for a grand tour of the Nordic north.