
Visiting
the Faeroe Islands is an exciting northward extension of our
cruising ground.
We
sail from Lerwick and our destination will be Torshavn, the
capital of the islands and well connected by ferry services
to Denmark and Iceland and with daily flights from Vagar airport
to Aberdeen with Atlantic Airways.
The Faeroes, which has a population of about 50,000, is a
group of eighteen rugged islands half way between Iceland
and Norway and about 180 miles northwest of Shetland. The
islands are characterised by spectacular cliffs and peaks
up to 900m high.
Not
all of the islands are inhabited. The name Faeroes means Sheep
Islands which gives a clue to the local economy, although
fishing is by far the biggest earner.
Politically, the Faeroes are linked to Denmark, which has
responsibility for defence and legal affairs, but there is
a high degree of local autonomy. They are not members of the
E.U. although citizens of Schengen countries (which does not
include the UK) travel freely.
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