Faroe Islands

Torshavn, Vagar, Suduroy and Sandoy

Gloriously remote and a world apart, the Faroe Islands lie in the North Atlantic half way between Shetland and Iceland. Here the islands' 45,000 inhabitants live amidst dramatic mountain and cliff scenery, politically tied to Denmark but with the kind of independent streak essential to living in such a remote environment.

These are islands where the past and the present sit comfortably side by side. The Faroese are proud of their heritage and maintain their traditions in language, in music, in dance and in national dress. These islands are different. Where else would you find a sheep grazing on the roof of a house? Where else would you find some young men going in to the sea to scuba dive to recover from a heavy night? Where else would you find an international opera star performing at a concert alongside school kids playing pop music?

The capital of Torshavn is an attractive and bustling port with a superb "old quarter" with its little wooden houses with turf roofs and a tangible history and we'll spend a couple of nights here, but the more southerly islands are the focus of our holiday. We start on the "airport island" of Vagar taking advantage of a new facility offering a boat trip down the lake and a short walk to a dramatic waterfall. We'll hear the story of Barbara and visit her house and also the priest's house in Midvagur and we'll hope for good weather to enjoy one of the finest views in the islands over to the remote bird island of Mykines.

TorshavnOn the most southerly island of Suduroy we'll take a walk with a local naturalist to look at the birds and flowers of the Faroe Islands and we'll visit a spinning factory and woollen shop for retail therapy. The cliff scenery on Suduroy is breathtaking and the island is home to the original Faroese flag. Our final island of the holiday will be Sandoy where we'll have a traditional lunch in a typical summer house up in the hills and - in June - a boat trip round the bird cliffs. On the way back to Torshavn for our last night we'll stop at the ancient ecclesiastical centre of the islands at Kirkjubøur with its photogenic farmhouse and cathedral.

Travel is with Atlantic Airways from Stansted or Aberdeen and the return flight is via Shetland - those who wish to stop off there can join our Shetland holiday featured on page 38 of this brochure.