The Faroe Islands are in the North Atlantic, midway between Scotland and Iceland, at the latitude of Oslo (Norway), which is, small factoid, also the same as Anchorage, Stockholm and St. Petersburg.

They are an 18 Island archipelago, and are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, though they handle most of their internal affairs.

The people are progressive and inventive. They have their own airline

and significant high-tech businesses, but 95% of their exports are fish – fresh caught and farm raised salmon (extremely delicious – they’ve developed techniques unrivaled anywhere else).

Evidence of the earliest settlements are dated in the first AD Millennium, and Norse / Viking settlers arrived around 800 AD, and developed their own language, separate and distinct from both Norwegian and Danish.

The islands are warmed by the Gulf Stream (as is Iceland), so there’s no severe cold, BUT there’s lots of rain, clouds and fog, and mysterious misty moments as one travels about the islands. Weather can change in a flash, and “rain gear” is a necessity if you want to get out of the car for even a short time.

The cliffs are steep, and dangerous near the edges as some adventurous tourists have discovered (not us, fortunately).

Back to the scenery, which is really incredible (and misty and mysterious at times).

Lots of waterfalls also, which swell to gigantic proportions after heavy rains

Building styles are both traditional and modern (and an eclectic mix).

And there are lots of churches

A few more scenic pictures to show the variety of what you can expect to find