What's Special About the Faroe Islands (2024)

FAQs

Why don t trees grow on the Faroe Islands? ›

One of the eccentricities of the Faroe Islands is a lack of trees. The islands have some, mostly imported and growing in sheltered areas. For the most part, though, strong westerly winds make it difficult for trees to survive, giving the nation a wide-open, crisp-air feel.

The Faroe Islands is a small open economy where the fishing industry for decades has been the major driver. The Faroese fishing industry is diversified and in constant development.

It's unbelievably beautiful. The Faroe Islands might be small, but they pack a punch. Exploring these remote islands will have you hiking up smooth, undulating mountains or plunging sea cliffs, marvelling at 'floating' lakes and dramatic waterfalls, or kayaking through deep, inky fjords.

Citizens of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are free to enter, reside and work in the Faroe Islands. Citizens from all other countries need a Work and Residence Permit before they can take up residence or employment in the Faroe Islands.

In order to receive permission to work and reside in the Faroe Islands, foreign nationals need to apply with the Danish Immigration Service, which will process the application in consultation with the Faroese Government.

Winter Weather in the Faroe Islands

December, January, and February are the coldest and most windy months in the Faroe Islands. The average maximum temperature is usually around 5°C (41°F) throughout the winter. There will be an average of 8-10 days with frost. The mountain peaks are likely to be covered in snow.

The Faroe Islands are one of very few countries in Europe to have no McDonalds outlets. You can, however, find a Burger King, in Torshavn if you're in need of a fast food fix. In Faroe Islands, birdwatching is popular.

The Faroe Islands are a significant player in the global fish market. The clean, temperate waters of the North Atlantic provide ideal conditions for mackerel, herring, blue whiting, cod, lobsters, and farmed salmon. Fishing is the main occupation of the Faroese people.

Beyond fermented meat, the Faroese diet consists mainly of seasonal fish and seafood, organic lamb and a few stubborn root vegetables. Potatoes, kohlrabi, turnips and rhubarb – if not swept away by the wind before reaching maturity – will grow at such a slow pace that they fill up with incredible aromas over time.

#8 ENGLISH IS WIDELY SPOKEN IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

As in most Scandinavian countries, English is extremely widely (and often perfectly) spoken in the Faroes - which is super lucky considering Faroese is a seriously daunting language.

Is Faroe Island cheap? ›

Faroe Islands is not a cheap destination, but it's cheaper than e.g. Iceland. With good planning and smart budgeting, you can make your trip quite affordable. For example, accommodation and restaurants outside of Torshavn are much cheaper than in the city and public transport is very cheap too.

The Faroe Islands have nearly no crime, making it one of the safest places on earth to travel to. You can rest assured that you are safe at all times, both day and night.

All you need to rent a car and drive in the Faroe Islands is a valid driver's license. You do not need an exclusive International driver's license, but your license does need to use the Latin alphabet.

The cool season lasts for 4.7 months, from November 20 to April 11, with an average daily high temperature below 43°F. The coldest month of the year in Faroe Islands is February, with an average low of 35°F and high of 40°F.

The sex ratio of the total population was 1.082 (1,082 males per 1,000 females) which is higher than global sex ratio. The global sex ratio in the world was approximately 1,016 males to 1,000 females as of 2022. Below are the key figures for Faroe Islands population in 2022: 637 live births.

Weapons. You may bring smooth-bore shotguns, air rifles and air guns to the Faroe Islands without special permission. No other weapons may normally be brought into the country. However, you may apply to the Faroe Islands police (in Faroese) for an exemption to bring in other weapons.

You can fly non-stop to the Faroe Islands from a variety of destinations, such as Copenhagen (Denmark), Paris (France), Reykjavik (Iceland), Edinburgh (Scotland), Oslo (Norway), and Bergen (Norway). There are also seasonal flights from places like Barcelona, the Gran Canary Islands, and Mallorca.

You may stay indefinitely in the Faroe Islands without any further permits.

It is perfectly safe to drink fresh water from the tab no matter where you are in the Faroe Islands. Actually the manager of the waterworks in Tórshavn has demonstrated that Faroese tap water is purer and better than bottle water bought in supermarkets.

Northern lights - or aurora borealis occur mostly during the winter, and the best period is from November to February. The Faroe Islands are north enough to see northern lights, so with a little bit of luck you can experience this amazing phenomenon.

Are there mosquitoes in Faroe Islands? ›

Bugs (like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas) can spread a number of diseases in the Faroe Islands. Many of these diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine. You can reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent bug bites.

The new law says that foreign nationals with no affiliation to the Danish Kingdom can not buy property in the Faroe Islands without specific government permission. In order to buy a property, foreigners must have resided within the Kingdom of Denmark for a least five years.

Once you get past that initial first stage of shyness and reserve, Faroe Islanders are a very warm, generous, friendly and hospitable people. Faroe Islanders are family-orientated, down to earth and have a high regard for tradition.

“The meat from each whale drive provides a large amount of valuable food, which is distributed free in the local communities where the whale drives take place… the meat of the 1,400 dolphins caught on Sunday has likewise been distributed among the participants in the catch and the local community,” Faroese government ...

The Faroe Islands are an ancient constitutional entity with a fascinating history. In the year 800, Norse settlers (Viking, if you like) came to the Faroe Islands. These were mainly farmers from Norway who ended up in the Faroe Islands in search of new land.

With a total fertility rate of 2.6, the Faroe Islands has the highest fertility rate in Europe. Moreover, life expectancy is high: 79.9 years for men and 84.7 years for women. A well organised labour market exists alongside the wider welfare system.

Practical and ecological -- the grass roofs in the Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago halfway between Scotland and Iceland, are the most conspicuous element of the local architecture. Houses have been built like this for more than 1,000 years, providing protection from rain and thermal insulation.

They drink a lot of aquavit in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago made up of 18 windswept Atlantic islands slung midway between Scotland, Iceland, and Norway.

Faroese breakfast, as served in the hotels in Tórshavn, and less extravagantly elsewhere in the country, is a Scandinavian-style cold table of hams, cheeses, herring, cereals, yoghurts, fruit and sometimes Danish pastries.

What do you wear to Faroe Islands? ›

Getting to the Faroe Islands is Easier (and Cheaper) than Expected. Long gone are the days when the Faroe Islands were inaccessible. Now, you can fly directly from Edinburgh, Reykjavik, or Copenhagen on Atlantic Airways straight to Vagar Airport. You can also fly directly from Copenhagen with SAS to Vagar Airport.

In lots of ways, the Faroe Islands is a premier walking destination. A lunar landscape of lakes, sea and mountains, scattered with ancient landmarks, all overlaid with a mystical layer of Faroese legend that can only be fully felt on foot.

There are some similarities, many differences. Iceland has many more tourists, many more sites of interest -- but is a much bigger place, so it should. Faroes are smaller, both in size, people, and number of tourists. If the decision was to be made on pure density of things to see, I would pick Iceland.

In terms of the weather, the best time to visit the Faroe Islands is during the summer months (June-August) as this is when the weather should be more pleasant (although it's never guaranteed in the Faroes!).

Axlar-Björn was arrested and confessed to nine murders, but authorities found more bodies when they searched his farm. Asked about them, Axlar-Björn claimed that he had found the remains buried in his land and decided to rebury them in another place without notifying authorities or bringing them to a cemetery.

The biggest fish you catch with a rod in the Faroe Islands is the Porbeagle Shark.

TIPPING & SERVICE CHARGES

Service charges are always included in all stated prices, so you are not obliged to tip in the Faroe Islands. Tipping for outstanding service is a matter of choice, but is not expected.

There are quite a few places (especially around Sandvagur / Midvagur) where the speed limit is 60kmh. There are cameras up on some roads but I was assured by people that are no speed cameras on the islands – however if you do get caught speeding there are severe penalties.

Things to know when driving in Faroe Islands

By familiarising yourself with these rules, your road trip will turn out awesome. Keep your headlights on at all time. You drive on the right-hand side. Speed limit on main roads 80 km/h.

Is there a ferry to the Faroe Islands? ›

Today, there is only one ferry that transfers passengers to and from the Faroe Islands on a regular basis. This is the ferry Norröna, which is operated by the Faroese Smyril Line. Norröna sails to Hirtshals in Denmark and to Seyðisfjørður in Iceland, transferring both passengers and cargo.

The Faroe Islands lie in the path of depressions moving northeast and this means that strong winds and heavy rain are possible at all times of the year. In wintertime the Faroe Islands are at times struck by stormy weather and hurricanes with winds over 100 mph.

Natural vegetation is moss, grass, and mountain bog. The islands are naturally treeless because of the cool summers, strong westerly winds, and frequent gales, but some hardy trees have been planted in sheltered plantations.

Statistics show that in 2012, the Faroe Islands produced 6.8 million litres of milk from 1,138 cows. This compares to 7.5 million litres produced from 1,147 cows in 2021. Due to advances in breeding the average yield has also increased from 6,000 litres per cow in 2012 to 6,600 litres in 2021.

List of countries male and female population. Out of 201 countries/regions estimated by United Nations, females outnumber males in 125 countries/regions. In absolute terms, Russian Federation has 10.6 mn more females than males, followed by Brazil (3.79 mn), the United States of America (3.46 mn), and Ukraine (3.18 mn) ...

Worldwide, the male population is slightly higher than the female population, although this varies by country. As of 2021, the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, under the control of China, has the highest share of women worldwide with 54.2 percent.

(Like the forest on the island of Kunoy, pictured below.) Trunks and branches of certain tree types have been found in the soil, dating back to around 2300BC, which could suggest there were some local strands of birch and hazel trees in the Faroe Islands before human settlement.

Ever since the first foresters entered Scotland's ancient wildwood over 6000 years ago, Scotland's trees and woodlands have been felled and harvested. As our population grew, more wood from forests was harvested and many forests disappeared, making space for agriculture, people's homes and infrastructure.

The real reasons for the lack of trees are to do with clearance for firewood and the presence of sheep, which have prevented natural regeneration. Where sheep are excluded, trees grow with little or no shelter.

Why are there no trees on Scottish islands? ›

The Outer Hebrides has suffered vast deforestation over the centuries with Vikings destroying the tree population to prevent locals making boats. Climate change and crop expansion have also contributed to the change in landscape.

Practical and ecological -- the grass roofs in the Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago halfway between Scotland and Iceland, are the most conspicuous element of the local architecture. Houses have been built like this for more than 1,000 years, providing protection from rain and thermal insulation.

You must apply for Felling Permission if you wish to fell a tree, unless the felling is exempt. Felling without a valid Felling Permission (where exemptions or Directions do not apply) is an offence and may result in prosecution, a fine of up to £5000 per tree and a criminal record for anyone involved.

Woodland cover around 5,000 years ago reached Shetland and the Western Isles. Woodland cover then began to decline, largely due to early agriculture. By the time the Roman legions of Agricola invaded Scotland in AD 82, at least half of our natural woodland had gone.

The reasons for the low population include the harsh nature of the land. Also, the outlawing of the traditional Highland way of life after the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the infamous Highland Clearances, and mass migration to urban areas during the Industrial Revolution all had their effects.

"Unfortunately, many people are not able to return home, due to lack of employment opportunities, for example, and a lot of these houses tend to fall into disrepair fairly quickly due to the climate."

Gruinard Island, off the coast of Scotland, was contaminated by a test use of anthrax spores by the United Kingdom and the United States; the island remained uninhabitable for decades. The United States developed anthrax spores, botulism toxin, and other agents as BW but did not use them.

Lying roughly 100 miles off the north east coast of Scotland, the Shetland Islands are the northern-most tip of Scotland.

Breadcrumb navigation. Our only native snake is Scotland's sole venomous reptile. But the adder is a timid creature and unlikely to bite unless threatened. An adder's preferred defence is to hide in the undergrowth.

The nine-metre tall spruce holds the Guinness World Record title for the “remotest tree” on the planet. It is the sole tree on the shrubby, windswept island, 700 kilometres south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean. It's the only tree for 222km around; its nearest neighbour grows on the Auckland Islands.

Are there any Highlanders left in Scotland? ›

Nowadays there are more descendants from the Highlanders living outside Scotland than there are inside. The results of the clearances are still visible today if you drive through the empty Glens in the Highlands and most people still live in villages and towns near the coast.