The amazing Faroe Islands
February 10, 2008
I recently stumbled on some nice photos of some very interesting looking islands. On further investigation I found that these were the Faroe Islands and that they lie north, north west of the UK approximately 300km from the top end of Scotland and between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea. All of the photos are by Olavur Frederiksen and I highly recommend that you visit his website links at the end of this story to see many more of his photos.
Klaksvik, second largest town located on island of Bordoy
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Gáshólmur and Tindhólmur
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Information on the Faroe Islands
History
Not much is known of the earliest history of the islands, Irish hermits (monks) settled on the islands in the sixth century, bringing with them sheep and oats as well as early Irish language.
Around 650 AD the Vikings replaced the Irish, bringing with them the Old Norse language, which has evolved into the currently spoken (Faroese) language which is spoken today. These viking settlers came from Norwegian settlements in Shetland, Orkney and islands in the Irish Sea.
Norwegian control of the Islands continued until 1380, when Norway entered into the Kalmar Union with Denmark and control gradually transferred to Denmark. When this union between Norway and Denmark was dissolved as a result of the Kiel Treaty in 1814, Denmark retained control of the Faroe Islands.
During World War 2 the British army occupied the islands so as to strengthen control of the North Atlantic, however after the war control reverted back to Denmark and a home-rule regime was implemented granting a high degree of local autonomy.
POST CONTINUES MANY MORE AMAZING PHOTOS
So where on Earth are the Faroe Islands, see below
Image: Google Earth
18 main islands make up the Faroes
Image: Wikipedia
Economy
“The Faroes declined to join Denmark in entering the European Community (now European Union) in 1973. The islands experienced considerable economic difficulties following the collapse of the fishing industry in the early 1990s, but have since made efforts to diversify the economy. Support for independence has grown and is the objective of the government.”
The Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-1998. In 2006 unemployment declined to 3%, one of the lowest rates in Europe. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing means that the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economic base by building new fish-processing plants. As an agrarian society, other than fishing, the raising of sheep is the main industry of the islands.
Petroleum found close to the Faroese area gives hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may provide a basis for sustained economic prosperity. Since 2000, new information technology and business projects have also been fostered in the Faroe Islands to attract new investment.
Climate
As discussed above the Faroe Islands are approx 350 km north north west of the top end of Scotland, making them not far from the southern end of the Arctic Circle. Considering their high latitude the islands are not as cold as you might expect, with average temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius in winter and 11 degrees Celsius in summer.
Faroe Islands during colder months
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Geography
The Faroe Islands consist of eighteen separate islands. The whole area of the Islands is approximately 1399 square km (540 sq Mles). There is 1117 kilometes (694 mi) of coastline. There are no land boundaries with any other country. The only island that is uninhabited is Lítla Dímun.
“The Islands are rugged and are dominated by tholeiitic basalt lava which was part of the great Thulean Plateau during the Paleogene period.”
Litla-Dimun, the only uninhabited island of the Faroe Islands
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
St.Dímun
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Gásadalur, located on the west-side of Vágar Island
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Mykines
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Transportation
“Vágar Airport has scheduled service to destinations from Vágoy Island. The largest Faroese airline is Atlantic Airways.Due to the rocky terrain and relatively small size of the Faroe Islands, its transportation system was not as extensive as other places of the world. This situation has changed, and today the infrastructure has been developed extensively. Some 80% of the population in the islands is connected by under-ocean tunnels, bridges, and causeways which bind the three largest islands and three other large islands to the northeast together.”
Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Torshavn Harbour
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Aurora over Tórshavn
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Aurora over Kollafjordur, a village on the Island of Streymoy’s east cost
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Tórshavn
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Kirkjubø by Night, with traditional grass covered roofs
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Pilot Whales
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Klaksvík, second largest town in Faroe and on the Island of Bordoy
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Tindhólmur
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
Tindhólmur
Photo: Olavur Frederiksen
One final thing, I have made myself a promise that I will travel to the Faroe Islands sometime in the future.
Credits
First and foremost I must thank Olavur Frederiksen for allowing me to use some of his amazing collection of photos. Please see his website links below if you are interested, he has many more wonderful photos.
All other information for this post was obtained from Wikipedia.
Comments
113 Responses to “The amazing Faroe Islands”
Got something to say?
A few of our favourite posts
Robbins Veterinary Clinic
New Airport Runway in Portugal Part 3
New Airport Runway in Portugal Part 2
New Airport Runway in Portugal Part 1
See the breathtaking beauty of the amazing Faroe Islands
Awesome Tree in South Africa is really the Tree of life at Walt Disney World
Latest Posts
- Michael Jackson, Young and “Free to be, You and Me”
- Diversity wins Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle comes second
- Wes Carr - Feels Like Woah
- Susan Boyle sings again on Britain’s Got Talent semi final
- Snake gets a free ride
- Eurovision 2009 winner is Norway’s Alexander Rybak with Fairytale
- Paraplegic David Blancarte healed by miracle spider bite
- Lego Donkey Kong, a retro masterpiece
- How to open your beer in Australia
- Fairytale of New York by Tex Perkins and Clare Bowditch
[…] I love the rugged beauty of this part of the world - perhaps someday I’ll be fortunate enough to travel there myself. Here is a sample of what I’m talking about - you can see more for yourself over at getalookatthis. […]
Fuck off, they do a tourism shot about pilot whales, not precising that every years they killed hundred of them as part of a stupid freaking rituals. They cant even eat the meat anymore due to the high level of mercury in the pilot whales.
if you dont trust me here are some links to articles and video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_the_Faroe_Islands
http://ecopathic.blogspot.com/2008/03/denmark-you-are-killing-our-whales.html
They wont get my tourist money as long as this barbaric praticce continue!
I never knew these islands existed… Might be a little dumb, but okay. They look -very- nice. Thanks for the collection of photos!
Have to book my flights to this place
[…] June 2, 2008 in lol Tags: celebrity, humor, mountain, rocky, stallone, sylvester Photos were borrwed from, getalookatthis, […]
can rocky run up these mountains you think!?, to best ellistrate, i have done this animation
A tsunami would really ruin your day.
I’ve been there. Very beautiful indeed. It’s a place to go and be silent, to listen and watch and think.
Ya tyebya lyoobloo
[…] Cool pictures of the Faroe Islands. […]
I live there, and you are all very welcome to visit my beautiful islands
See you around!
what it says…
The amazing Faroe Islands : Get A Look At This……
Amazing photos and Faroe Islands is one great place to visit.
Puta que pariu!
I agree with you Delph that the whale kill in the Faroe Islands is appalling. It doesn;t however mean that I wouldn’t go there to visit. If we decided to not go anywhere where officials did bad things than we wouldn’t go anywhere.
I could say I am not going to go to the USA because George Bush’s administration invaded Iraq and he has consequently been indirectly responsible for allowing the US soldiers to die over there.
I could say I am not going to the USA because of the appalling treatment of the African American population in many parts of the country.
I still will go to America, I just don’t agree with the treatment of some of it’s citizens.
The landscape looks amazing! though I’m not sure what the heck I would do if I were to visit.
hey craig,
As a citizen of the US I’m confused as to what parts of the country you find appalling treatment of african americans? I personally live in NY city and have traveled all over the US and guess what, it’s not 1940 anymore, If anything there is preferential treatment given to minorities to make up for past wrongs that my generation had nothing to do with. Time to put past mistakes to rest and move on, otherwise your only going to upset a new group of people that had nothing to do with past atrocities.
Craig is an idiot, first off let me agree on the President Bush slams, he is dumb as well.
BUT - we do not have African-Americans her in America. We have Blacks with an identity crisis. They were called Negroes, Colored, People of color, Black, and this generastion now wants to be called African-American. Craig- Recent Gallop studies have show that 97 % of Blacks have never been to Africa.
In addition, 98% of Blacks have to go back at least 6 generations to find people that were NOT born in America. America is and always has been a melting pot, but you cannot force a race to claim what they really are.
Next subject - Blacks receive more handouts than every other race combined. They are allowed into college with MUCH lower scores than EVERY other race. MOST of our welfare goes to the Blacks although they only make up 12% of our population. Over 60% dropout of highschool. One in every four black men is, or has been in prison. The prisons are currently housing 77% blacks.
You know nothing of what you speak CRAIG.
Yes ! The Faroe Islands - always wanted to visit, I consider them the sister islands of St Pierre et Miquelon (www.spm.org) on this side of the Atlantic - where I’m from.
For Delph : go eat some tofu
Well, anywhere where there is snow and cold, that’s where I will avoid. There are enough tropical destinations out there for me that will keep me happy!
I lived in Kodiak, Alaska for two years. It looks a lot like this.
These islands would make a wonderful addition to the United Kingdom!
The people commenting on pilot whale hunting have no idea what they are talking about.
to delph: It’s not a ritual. It’s a way of getting food. Like when cows, pigs etc are killed every where else in the world. When you say that we cant eat the meat, you are VERY wrong. Every single bit of the whale is eaten, and very much enjoyed. If you think we’re bad for killing animals, you should realize that all countries in the world kill animals. And to a much further extent than the Faroe Islands. Meat Is necessary for humans to survive. And pilot whales are in no way an endagered species. They thrive in millions all over the globe. Simply calling us barbaric because we eat a “cute” animal is ignorant. If you use that argument, you should really grow up.
If you want something else to rabble about - consider this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaT7Um1GDzk
I think that’s very disturbing, and remember. That’s how they are killed ALL OVER THE WORLD.
to D Legal:
There are lots of things to do in the Faroes
We have shopping centers, bars, nightclubs etc. like any other city. it’s hard to understand if you’ve never been here, but we don’t just sit around being bored all the time :b Tourists mainly come here and take walks on mountains and stuff like that. You know, just enjoy the scenery. Then in the afternoon they go to bars, and “party” with the locals :b
What is wrong about killing whales? I dont hear people crying about fish getting killed. Is it because the whale is bigger? You somehow have more feelings for this bigger fish. Well come on! Why dont you cry about cows getting killed. I really dont get you people. Did you fall in love with flipper or something? Pilot whales are NOT an endangerd species. They give lots of good food. Some mongoloid flipper lovers say the whales are left to rot on the beach. This is a COMPLETE lie. Not a single piece of meat is wasted! And its delicious btw. so fu! and we dont want you to come here flipper lover. go hug a tree! and eat it
Someone mentioned whalekilling. Well, I live there and I would like to tell you a bit about it…
Many people have the idea, that whalekilling is something we do for sports, and that it goes like this: Some men think that today is perfect for whalekilling, so they gather a lot of boats and sail out to find some whales, chase them around untill they reach the beach, where they brutally kill them and then party over the “catch of the day.” Well, thats not how it goes!
This is how it really goes: A sailor spots a whale at sea, while he is out in his fishingboat (or something like that) . He calls for other boats to come, so they can get the whales to the beach, where other men as quick as possible kill the them, and get them to a place where they can cut them up and get the meat. Everyone who participated in the whalekilling write their name on a list, so they get their share, and if there is a lot of meat, all houses in the village will get some. Some years we kill only a hundred, and some years thousand, it depends on how many travel in our direction. Long time ago, it often saved the islanders from starvation, but now its just an addition to the regular dishes. Yes, we still eat it!
I am not trying to get any of you to say that whalekilling is ok, Im simply trying to show you, that we are not doing it for fun!
In reply to smarter than Craig.
Firstly, I am making some sort of parallel between the Black population in America as the black population here in Australia.
The statistics that you speak of regarding African American people seem to be much the same as our native Aboriginals. Huge percentage have been in prison, they are given handouts, etc etc.
But this does not seem to work does it. If someone is given handouts than they are not going to learn to appreciate things as they would if they had to work harder for it.
What then happens is that the white population start to resent the fact that the black people are given handouts, with resentment comes scorn, ridicule, some members of the white community start to have bad feelings toward the black community and then the black people get there backs up and feel like they are victimised, therefore they start to walk around all day with their defenses up and ready to fight back.
Consequently, when black people go to job interviews, or any other place where they are being judged, the result isn’t always in their favour.
You just have to go to any poor neighborhood and see how big a percentage of the people are black.
I think the best thing that we can do is gradually cut out the extra funding that goes to the black people and use this money to educate everybody about tolerance and start to all get along.
Always treat everybody with respect, instead of having preconceived ideas about what sort of person they are.
I once was in a situation where a friend and I had contact with a Lebonese person who looked like he was angry and would have fought at the drop of a hat. When my friend approached this person and spoke nicely to him I was so amazed at how quickly this persons persona changed to being relaxed and at ease.
When we spoke further with this person, it came out that he had been treated badly since he was a young kid, other kids used to give him crap at school and so he fought back and was always on edge. When treated with respect he was a whole different person.
So don’t get me wrong, when I say that blacks are treated badly, I don’t mean that they are treated as they were in the early 1900s, I just mean that there are a much bigger percentage who are living in poverty and I think there are better ways of improving their standard of living than just giving them handouts.
Hey Craig…
Isn’t it funny what happens when you simply try to show a few nice piccies of a place…
And the next thing you know you’re up to your neck in the poo facing accusations about whale killing, having a go at black americans, AND the bonus… getting called an idiot in the process???
What IS the world coming to?
Sheesh!
Hey Stephen, Thanks for the comment.
Yes, lovely isn’t it. Oh well I guess it’s a great big wide world out there and many different people have many differing opinions. That’s what makes the World Wide Web tick I guess.
Oh and just one other thing for SMARTER THAN CRAIG to ponder, If you were a black person from America and your descendants came from Africa, would you not be an African American, or put another way, an American of African descent.
One more thing for SMARTER THAN CRAIG, Can you honestly say that if you were a black African American from New Orleans, or Queens or any other lower socio economic area that you would have every opportunity afforded a white person from say Boston for example?
What a beautiful place! Anyone who lives there wanna chat?
Another Point for smarter than Craig. I saw on TV here in Australia about 6-8 months ago a story regarding a Black man who was I think in his late 50s or early 60’s who was shot by swat police who broke into his home mistakingly while looking for another black man who had committed a crime. The police crew opened fire on the elderly black man as his wife looked on and shot him dead, even though he was sitting in his lounge watching TV.
The police had got the wrong house, on the wrong side of the street, the person they were looking for was I think something like 20 or 30 years younger and I’m not sure about you but I would have thought alarm bells would have been ringing for the swat crew when they saw that the bloke was that much older than the one they were looking for, but no he is black so he must be a bad ass and we might as well shoot him while we’re here to save us another trip!!!
I have heard stories of a similar nature regarding police and their shoot first ask questions later attitude towards black people. Funny though that I hear many less stories of this nature re white people.
Something is wrong in the system and it needs to be fixed with education, reasoning, respect, kindness and a fair go for everyone unless they specifically do something not to deserve it.
Paisajes remotos: fotos de las Islas Feroes…
Lindos paisajes, cielos naranjas y auroras boreales vistos en las Islas Feroes. No se si las fotos estan un poco "Photoshop-enhanced", pero vaya, estan bonitas….
To comment number 2, Delph:
Well hi there retard. We kill pilotwhales in the Faroe Islands, but not hundreds like you said, and as a matter of fact, we eat them. The mercury level is too high, but still it is good food, and the whalefat is extremely healty with high levels of Omega 2 and 6 fat. So check your scources for real before you write lame comments about things that you don’t know anything about.
I live there, and i want to clarify a little thing about whaling.
We do NOT hunt for whales, we only take the ones that swin in at up arund the islands.
We do NOT look for whales and when we kill whales it is only when they are found by fishermen or other boats sailing around the islands
We use EVERY single peace that comes from the whale for food, artifacts, and other usable stuff.
NOTHING GOES TO WASTE.
Greenpeace has stated that pilotwhaling in the Faroe Islands is not a danger to the population.
Everyone is welcome to visit the islands that by the way has the oldest still working democraticly electet parlament in the world - dates back to around and before 600 bc
Be very welcome
please write to local autorities to stop the incredible whale killing!
its not right to show just beautifull pics!
its amazing how deep can stupidity go in humans!!
this is one of the most shocking things i’ve ever seen!
this is not europe!
please fight agains this poor human beings!
to mario:
You obviously haven’t done your homework
Your points about African-Americans are not without merit, but to describe the situation as “appalling” is hyperbolic. You cannot make a convincing argument with anecdotal evidence, so it is useless to roll out. Your call for an end to “handouts” has been the subject of academic studies, their results falling on both sides of the argument. Affirmative action programs (that’s what we call them) were necessary when they were created, but most were implemented with the idea they would be faded out over time. The disparities in prison populations and poverty are a holdover from the past, and they continue strong today, but you cannot make a generalization that includes all African-Americans in these groups. Truth is, race relations vary on a regional basis, and it is not just a matter of rooted pockets of racism and discrimination. Poverty is very hard to break free from, education and social programs are underfunded, and those fortunate enough to be economically above the lower class have an easier time arranging for private school and such. The poor have less time to invest in their children’s upbringing due to the amount of hours spent at multiple jobs, but many still handle it very well, and might break the cycle of poverty for their children. All the same, the bulk of Americans are not hell bent on maintaining the faults you seem to fixate on. That is why we have harsher punishments for hate crimes, social programs that target poor areas, and any number of talking heads who make a living arguing about this much better than you or me. It is a slow climb to the utopia you expect from my country, but perhaps if you write a letter to the world explaining the fastest way to correct the past and mold every single individual to your ideal, your head might not explode the next time you hear of bad things happening to innocent people.
Kill, don’t kill, whatever. But meat is most certainly not necessary for humans to survive.
Faroe Islands is the perfect place to be, if you want peace and quiet. The people are very VERY nice people, and they will help you in any way, if you have a problem.
The whale thingy. it’s not what they do daily. You are not to be affected by this.
You should come the Faroe Islands. If you like adventures, you will LOVE these 18 islands. AND the whether experts say, that this summer is going to be lovely.
come to førjar, it’s lekkirt!
People would survive without chicken as well, but does that stop you?
And to Delph, none of the meat goes to waste, don’t listen to does videos etc., because they know just as little as you do. Come visit us if you want, but stop fucking blaming us for something that isn’t true. Amen.
Craig, could you please just leave? This is about my beautiful home, <3 and you’re just making an ass of yourself, and talking about something that has nothing to do with the topic, bye.
The Faroe Islands definitely seem to stir the emotions, they are truly an amazing place and I will definitely be visiting them in the future.
Meat is not necessary to survive.
I’ve been living without meat for 20 years.
I am from the Faroe Islands, and this message i to Delph:
Yes, we do kill Pilot Whales. It may seem barbaric, but in truth, it isn’t.
And we kill maybe 500 whales a year, even less some years. And we do eat it.
The Pilot whale is not endangered, only in the Faroese ocean there are aproximatly 400.000 whales.
And the next time you eat your pork, think of the imprisoned life, the pig had, instead of a great and free life the whales had.
beautiful island ilove to go there
jasmine celion
cool-hotstuff.blogspot.com
Very cool site. Wish I could visit myself
To Jana and all the others who seem to remain ignorant about killing whales. Do a little research first. You will see that the main concern for YOUR people is that the pilot whales are contaminated with Mercury. Eat the meat and yes, you too will be affected. Perhaps, you already are though. You just don’t get it.
those are amazing
Delph, you stupid f**k ! you have no idea about what the f**k you are talking about, we kill the whale for food, not for fun you stupid f**k !
and that shit about the mercury is bullshit ! we wouldn’t hunt it if we couldn’t eat it !
Killing the whale is not as brutal as stuffing pigs and chicken into a small cage and feed them with all kinds of faster growing shit !
I just f**king hate people like you. you stupid f**k !
anyways, thanks for the great article
I tell you what, it’s simply unbelievable how some people cannot respect each other. I read the whole page with the comments and some simply screw up others . The point is, doesn’t matter if people from Faroe islands eat or not the pilot whale, the fotographs shocks everybody, it’s so much blood . That is the point, the picture!!!!!!
So stop to screw up each other and look at Africa, they’re starving there. This picture is the worst !!!!!!!!!!!!
Amelia
Here we go again…
I think it’s very impressive that yet AGAIN, a very nice article about my beautiful country, was poisoned by the never ending discussion about killing whales. The fact is that most faroese people kill it, eat it and love it. GET OVER IT! -it’s a fact of life as so many other things are. In other parts of the world, people are treating animals in all sorts of ways that I think is VERY wrong, but that would never stop me from coming there and seing the beauty of their country. There are places where people eat cats and dogs, which I find absolutely horrible, but there is not a damned thing I can do about it!
Regarding the mercury levels in the whale-meat, doctors do tests all the time and for eksample pregnant women are advised not to eat it, to prevent possibly negative effects. So we are being cautious, and not just to damaged by it, like a person mentioned above..
This article was ment for showing people around the world the great islands up north that I think everyone should be lucky enough to see at least once in their lives. So how about using it for its purpose and if you cannot stop nagging about issues that should not be discussed here, then you guys take each others e-mail adresses and take the discussion to a different place, where people who actually understand the beauty and spirit of this country, will not have to read about it. It’s rubbage, totally irrelevant and really, really annoying!
Anyway.. To the writer: I would like to thank you for writing this article. It is always nice to see that other people are as fond of my homecountry as I am myself!
Nice work.. 
Eg elski Føroyar! <3 Gleði meg at koma heim í summar.. og fáa turkaða grind!
This wouldn’t be for me less than a short visit. There are no trees
Come and visit Klaksvík on the Truck festival. Big trucks and a lot of fun
i m flabbergasted!!!! why isnt this place as famous as hawaii and other islands .i got to go to this place although i hav never heard of it before .this place is like a heaven on earth . A special thanks to the writer . I am a natural beauty lover . this place has increased my love for nature .again THANKS A LOT!!!!
Where are the trees? Were there ever any? How did they keep warm before gas central heating?
To Jungle Peter who wrote, “You somehow have more feelings for this bigger fish.” Well…sorry my dear fellow, but take a science class and pay attention; killed for food or whatever, a whale (and PLEASE read this carefully) - a whale is NOT a fish; it is a MAMMAL. So is a dolphin, or “flipper” as you eloquently put it.
Bummer hey? It kinda waters down your argument…not that I really care whether you eat whale or not. Oh…and by the way, I have more issue with the Japanese killing Minke whales for their so-called “scientific research” and the barbaric slaughter of the pup fur seals by the Canadians. So hey…if the Pilot the whale population is secure and you don’t mind a little ‘Hg’ poisoning (that’s Mercury - I learned that in a science class because I paid attention - cool huh?) then, bon apetit!
these treehugging morons are f***ing stupid. i happen to think that cows are cute and i am just absolutely appalled at the human race because of their barbaric slaughter of millions of cows each year.
oh my god what the f**k is wrong with these dipshits. stupid tree-hugging fairies.
these whales are not the same as the endangered ones being killed elsewhere in the world. so what the hell is wrong with killing them. humans are not a herbivore species we have survived our whole existence killing and eating many different kinds of animals. seriously these people crack me up
by the way great site.
Great article.
Great to see people having interest in visiting this place.
Sorry for the few Faroese people here who can’t refrain from crude language, but this is a very touchy subject which hits a nerve with many.
But yes, like others say, think of other things going on in the world. Most animals which are eaten by humans are either kept in cages, where they literally can’t move, or strapped up, and never touch the floor in their life. They are force-fed so they can be fat, and finally slaughtered, often in inhumane ways. Our whales live their whole lives free, and are since killed in seconds. There are a multitude of laws ensuring that whale killing is as fast, painless and humane as possible, and any unnecessary cruelty is punishable.
A lot of you do make valid points about high mercury levels in the whales. There is a lot of research going on in the Faroes regarding this, and our projects have shown negative effects on humans at exposion to mercury. We are aware of this, and we do have recommendations on how much whale is safe to eat. It is advised that women completely abstain from whale meat their whole life, until they’ve decided not to have more children, so as to not expose the children to unnecessary risks.
I live in England and I have never even heard of these islands! I’d love to visit!
What nationality do the people class themselves as?
What languages are spoken there? I’d love to know more about it.
Well said Soleyg, all that other crap is irrelevant - can’t we all just enjoy the natural beauty of the place?!
To Delph,
I just fell over this website and your comment. I guess you live in a city and never lived close and in harmony with nature. Persons only getting their food and drink from supermarkets and in cartons wrapped boxes, should not speak their mind of any matter conserning living animals of any kind.
And I think we can live without your tourist money. Here aren´t that many torists comming this way anyway…that´s what makes this place so unic….but those who find their way with a positive mind are all very welcome.
Heidi a Faroe Islander
Wonderful!
Great article on what looks to be a very unique place.
Too bad about the gong show that ensued.
Life feeds on life and nobody in North America has any more excuses anymore for anything.
This articule was a great read …… bad luck about the negative and sometimes silly comments that followed. This side should be about beautiful scenery and interesting places to visit. For those so called animal rights campainers ….. take a hard look at yourself and clean up the weed in your own garden before you judge others. Well if you can’t visit country because something is, to your standard, done wrong there than I don’t wanna visit yours for one simple reason = you live there!!!!!!
To all the people of Faroe Islands ……. I used to live in one of your neighbor countries and I was never fortune enough to visit the country. But I will come and visit one day and I am sure I will enjoy EVERY minute of it. These islands are a real treasure and the people is simply wonderful. I have met few of you guys and the city sleakers around the world could learn a lot about life-in-general from you!!!!!!!
If you say anything apart from the amazing Faroe island, you are a nut.
Forget about blacks, whale killing etc.
I think the Island is truly amazing.
How do you get there from Houston?
Wale
Who needs whales anyway. Kill them, cook them, eat them. Yum Yum.
To Katie: Our nationality is Faroese, as is our language. We start learning Danish in the second grade, and English in fourth or fifth, so by that time everyone speaks three languages. In eight, you may learn German as well, and by the time we’re 18-20, everyone speaks three languages, a lot of people speak four or five, and some speak even more. That’s one of the things that makes it great for tourists, there’s no hassle finding someone who can help you out in a language you understand.
You may find this interesting: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html
It’s an article done by the National Geographic magazine, in which the Faroe Islands are rated as the number one island tourist destination in the world.
I have been to Torshavn and was amazed as I toured the countryside that there were no trees. It has a quiet beauty.
I never imagined there could be such serene and captivating islands just off the coast of Scotland. I have visited on business some of the channel islands and liked Guernsey the most. These however are a much larger and serious cluster with economy driven by what the abutting seas offer rather than someone stashing away money or seeking tax shelter.It is very interesting and the various accounts including some written by the locals makes it an interesting summer proposition,
By the way what is the controversy that is being raged about race and race related issues in this informative piece.I cannot help myself but express that oppression of any ethnicity in the past for long years leaves a scar so deep that it is etched in the gene.So why lament about efforts -mostly apparently genuine-made to uplift some unfortunates in any way.Affirmative action by whom and for what,just to gloat about being just and equitable. My foot. In the first place none of the descendants of the African-Americans ever could be blamed for the feelings of rejection,dejection,despair and desolation they suffer and so react.Correct the cause and administer a remedy of social bonding and acceptance of all not the few who stand out in Sport,Entertainment and the like.I personally feel that the parents of the last generation failed to rise up and admit that their ancestors were wrong in discriminating humans by race and ethnicity.It is funny though sincere that the Australian Parliament unanimously resolved and apologized for the wrongs to aborigines and their children in the past and that too deliberately and systematically. A year or so ago when I was in Toronto the Canadian government openly apologized to the Chinese migrants and now citizens of Canada for the wrongs to the indentured labor that they used and mostly Chinese to build the railways.I think humans are such a phenomenon that they make others gullible and smacking stupid with some public display of apology and make it appear like a celebration.At least the very young and impressionable children will get the correct message imprinted in their minds and will bury the history and get on with life.One of few good things about globalization is that there is greater awareness about rights of people and any violation is viewed in a humane and much broader perspective.
I actually stumbled upon the islands and may be got into the controversy about race.
What the hell is WRONG with you people? You all seem to act like 5 year olds, discussing who gets to play outside longer, I mean, what the hell?
If you hate the Faroes killing whales so much, then take it to Greenpeace or some other organization that can DO something, instead of trying to make others follow your ridiculous mindset.
Truth is, there’s no point, I’d be upset too if they were endangered, but as it is, they are far from. So let them do it. Some people kill deer and other wild, just to keep the population down, it’s the same thing, it makes no difference to nature weather a couple of hundred of whales are killed each year, there’s millions left still.
So stop your petty arguments, they’re revolting.
Hey, y’all ain’t gonna believe this. But I was just looking at the UEFA cup qualifiers rankings. I literally came here from that page. I went there because I was surprised my boys under the cross of king george didn’t get in. I mean, England got evicted by the reds and the croats? Weak. Anyways, I’d never really heard of The Faroe Islands, but I noticed they were in the qualifiers and didn;t do too well. No respect, just a spit of land out in the water. Never compete against the might Frogs and Italians. Even against countries like Ukraine and Scotland, no hope. But I think the effort is valiant. Anyways, I thought it was cool as hell that I was just looking at them in the UEFA page then I come here. Especially cause I’m a yank, so what’s the chance I would be on the UEFA page in the first page. But, no, I love football. Tomorrow Italy is going to wreck France, Romania, unfortunately is going to lose to the Dutch, but they put up a hearty effort.
nice places, thanx.
I have been to the Faroe Islands. A place with remarkable scenes of nature, with the pure bright blue sea of the atlantic, the scent of freshness in the air combined with the beauty of the green mountains, it truly has a spellbinding effect on a persons soul.
To comment the whale killing.
Ignorance is the mother of mistakes. I would like to give a comment to some of the powerfull organisations, which I always have thought had it in their hearts to tell the truth to the worlds habitation.
It’s easy to capture hearts when you can get stars (our idols) to narrate twisted stories, in which the main igredient is ignorance.
The whales are killed with a large knife, which is thrusted into the spine, killing the whale immediately, then the cut of the neck continues. There is no slow death for the whale. It is bloody, yes, that we can never be without, if we want to kill an animal fast. But it is also humane.
People should rather focus and make harder efforts on stopping the real torture of animals; Like the “bull fighting ” in Spain or the huge fur market in China, which would sicken the most of us.
It does get my traveling juices going. At this time of year they must have the mid nite sun. Love to be there just now. WoW !!
This is really amazing. One of the places i must visit before I die.
OMG! Is it heaven? Look at the Aurora. Amazing! It’s indeed a small island but it still preserve the essence of what a real world should be like. I’m curious about the people over there. Wow… I just can’t stop admiring. This is a place that not every tourist knows. I want to be one of those who knows about this place. I want to be there and experience everything about this island.
That’s right Robert, at this time of year it doesn’t get dark. It’s very nice. Sort of depressing in mid-winter though, as it’s dark almost the entire day.
If you come here in the summer, there are some places you can go to catch a beatiful sight. You can watch the sunset, but before the sun seems to dive into the ocean, it starts rising again. Beautiful.
My, that “Delph” fellow is obviously a highly cultured and intelligent individual. How can you tell? Well, he starts off with an obscenity and it goes steeply downhill from there.
What exactly does this mean: “not precising (sic) that every years (sic) they killed hundred . . .”
Please, someone take away his keyboard and give him back his crayon.
I stumbled upon this great site about the faroe islands. and im amazed i knew a guy called Nikolai from the faroe islands in my first year of university and he never said how beautiful his country was. great images i might visit one day !
also on the subject of pilot whale killing, whats everyones problem? i hate vegetarians/animal welfare enthusiasts who try to force their ridiculous views on the rest of society. if you dont want to eat meat for health, moral or any other reason then fine, but don’t try to convince an entire society that an age old part of their culture, is wrong. moreover i like that when you follow the link that delph posted you get to an article which is full of inaccuracies, the funniest of which is “They have become more and more autonomous since after “World War II” in 1948″ World War II ended in 1945 stupid idiot vegetarian.
and finally if people weren’t meant to kill animals for food, then animals wouldn’t be made from delicious meat.
PS i would like to eat a dolphin whats everyone think about that?
the grass covered huts are nice……
[…] This article has been sourced from Getalookathis.com […]
I am grateful for the places like yours that still have beautiful scenery and great people from what I have read from some of the Faroese responses. I would love to meet you and get to know you. I now live next to the Rocky Mountains of the United States and would welcome you to visit here and experience our scenery which is known world-wide. You would have to get use to the trees as much as I would have to get use to seeing very few trees on your islands. But that is what traveling is all about - experiencing new ideas, things and people!
I have some questions - How did your ancestors heat their homes and eat something else instead of fish and whales.? (I do support your decisions on harvesting whales). Do you have geothermal electric power like Iceland? What is not imported to the Faroes? If you don’t answer these - that’s okay, for my interest has risen to find out about you by educational sources. Thanks!
Robert de Bock on June 2nd, 2008 11:19 pm I never knew these islands existed… Might be a little dumb, but okay. They look -very- nice. Thanks for the collection
its got to be the most stupid thing some one as ever said! must be a yank
nice post! moderator, kick craig and smarter than craig out please. they ruined the post unlike other people who just ignored digressing comments.
awesome……………. thats it…. faroe islands
I like it, I like it alot! Hows the climbing? I feel so free looking at those photographs. this place looks like it has good culture. Thanks for sharing a piece of your joy all of you faroenians, or what ever you call yourselves. I think ill take a gander over and yonder Faroe, See you there.
Tourism in Faroe? not a chance. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
watch out its coming, oh wait never mind, you’re already looking at it.
To those of you harping on race relations on a blog, John R went to college. Listen to him because he’s right and the rest of you are closet racists. People who say racism doesn’t exist in America and that people don’t do, think, and say horrible things based on race/gender/sex/religion are either ignorant or arrogant.
The Faroe Islands, on the other hand, look magnificent. I definitely want to see this place before I kick it. And the people sound awesome, according to Hans and Halgir. Very excellent pictures, good article. Thanks Stumbleupon.
Crying over the killed whales babes! why don’t you stop eating your mcdonald’s burgers and get on a vegetarian diet? Most of the stuff you eat comes from a dead animal. Yes, murdering an animal isn’t always one of the most crowd-pleasing things done, but people have always survived off preying and hunting. As long as it doesn’t go out of hand, there’s nothing wrong with it. With killing for food people just have to make sure they sustain a reasonable number of animals, so they wouldn’t go extinct.
stunningly beautiful, what an incredible place. its a must visit .
“Got something to say ?”
“Speak Your mind”
so it says… at this section… at the end of a very long page…..
well you people certainly have…
Lovely pics btw
I read this whole page through, twice… the second time I was giggling…
and THEN I noticed Reflux remedy.com has an ad on the right hand side way way up near the top of the page..
“I cured my acid reflux” …
perhaps some of you people may need a dose….. or two
*laughing
Peace
Very nice article! Thanks for this!
doumo_arigatou
Another website with a bunch of nature photos from the Faroes is www.faroenature.net/gallery
To the people of the Faroe Islands, thank you for explaining the tradition. I have to admit I was falling into the category of those who simply act /react instead of doing my own research.
Like many I was shocked when looking at the pictures. I can only imagine a tribe’s man from Ethiopia and his reaction if he walked into our modern slaughter houses. Well, I dont have to go that far….anyone’s reaction to a slaugher house would be of concern and disgust (hopefully).
Some can also argue that plants are alive and eating them is also wrong. We can discuss this here all night ….all I can hope for (and we should all demand it) is that we are somewhat “humane” when catching/ killing our food.
Can we all get along?
nice view
I skipped to the bottom after the first several comments, but am glad to see that Olga said what I had planned to say. While to those of us from different cultures the idea of killing pilot whales may seem “barbaric,” that’s just a very ethnocentric way of looking at things — I have no problem with it, especially if its for food. Even if it was for ritual, its fine because this is their island. if you don’t like it, don’t go there!
For me, I’d love to visit this place. I’ve never paid attention to it before, having only heard the name without knowing anything about it. It looks absolutely beautiful, and I hope to someday make the trip out there.
I’m hopeful that the Faroe Islanders are open to outsiders but would understand if you want to keep all of it for yourselves!
As a faroese native I find it interesting to read through the comments on here.
I highly recommend the Faroes as a travel destination. People there are better educated than most places on the planet seeing as the country is only 48.000 people strong and education is free, even sponsored by the government. The infrastructure is second to none (again, because the country is so small) and nature there is absolutely breathtaking. The weather is shit most of the time but it’s well worth it. The whaling, i have to add, is purely for food. It’s heavily regulated and commercial whaling has been forbidden for decades. The sea is our pantry as opposed to countries with a bigger landmass.
i notice on the map above, that you have the ‘united kingdom’ written over britain but you havnt labled Ireland with its own name, making this map appear to include Ireland as part iof the UK. Ireland IS NOT PART OF THE UK!
That map is as offensive to me, as the disgusting culture of the Faroe islanders towards the Dolphins and especailly given that the british carried out many similar massacres of the Irish throughtout their tyranical rule here. Just as bloody, just as evil. Please relable your map to show ireland as it is, a seperate country that is NOT part of the UK.
thanks
b.
Andru Emil: you are soooo right about what you said.
Any one that eats meat should think about what they say.
Boy, I love you Islands, yet have never been there and can’t wait to visit.
I am from the Netherlands(Nederland) and now live in Canada - Ontario.
Hope when I visit, I get to meat you all and eat what you guys eat. (hope I like it)
Love to learn some words…
see ya over there..tot ziens dan maar!
Saw the Aurora on some of the sights, that is beautiful!
Do you Faroers have that there every evening and night?
I showed my husband about your Islands and he just loved the pictures.
HE had never heard of your beautiful islands, I was shocked.
By the way, be proud of what you guys eat! People eat to live - simple as that.
What you eat depends on where you live.
I get tired of Canadians being accused for fishing and either releasing them or eat them for food.
For Bren - the Netherlands always get called Holland, while the Country only has the name : the Netherlands, while Holland (South and North) are provinces in the Country it self. Does this really matter? No! Point to all this is - website _ Faroe Islands and what they have to offer and how beautiful and rustic they are.
How do you get to your islands? Do you go by plane from Norway or Denmark or by boat? When is the best time of the year to go? and what can we bring for you people who live there as a need gift? What kind of bread do you guys eat?
What is are your main vegetables besides Potatoes? I am a real cook and love to bake, just love to see your dishes you have to offer and what you guys bake. I have so many questions about your islands as you guys can tell. How many days do you stay to make it worth it to see all there is to see? Are things more expensive then as in Europe or North America? Do you guys have to import a lot of things? DO you guys worry about fashion (I hope not) like as where in the world?
I better stop! ha!
Just love to go and meet you all.
Dear Craig.
Thanks for a wonderful article about our beautiful islands. I am deeply sorry for some of the comments, that you had afterwards. Unbelievable…
Here is another link to all of the churches in Faroe Islands http://www.jenskjeld.info/kirker.htm
The very best regards
Marita.
Thank you Marita for your nice comments. I am going to come and visit your islands one day, it is an amazing place.
I must say that I’m sorry for the people of those Islands. They really do terrible things to the whales (I saw the pictures) but they don’t even realise it.
Of course it has been a long tradition etc blabla.
In Belgium it has been a long tradtion in a certain village that one day a year a little fish that’s still alive is put in a drink and swallowed alive.
This might seem nothing to you people, but the animal rights organisation in Belgium protested against this and now it’s forbidden!
Just to say that the rest of Europe has apparentely other standards about animal rights than the people of the Faroe islands.
Please don’t give me the argument that I don’t feel compassion for pigs, cows, other kinds of fish. I don’t eat any meat or fish, I’m vegetarian.
What is importaint to an animal acitivist is the suffering of the animal. This must be as little as possible. Even more: we would like to avoid any suffering that isn’t necesarry.
The way the whales are killed (with hooks) is really terrible. I suppose these animals really suffer a lot. And that’s the whole point. No animal has to suffer for my consumption.
I hope one day you will have insights about this.
Eva
Eva
When you don’t have full insight into something, you shouldn’t demand it of other people.
“They really do terrible things to the whales (I saw the pictures) but they don’t even realise it.”
- People killing whales are fully aware of what they are doing.
“The way the whales are killed (with hooks) is really terrible.”
- They aren’t killed with hooks, but with knives.
etc.
Go to http://www.whaling.fo
See this and have your own idea about the feroe. :
http://www.dauphinlibre.be/feroe.htm
Is this realy happening out there?
Because if so I think it’s quite sick.
http://argusoog.punt.nl/?id=422231&r=1
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/incredible-risso39s-dolphin-massacre
Whoa, this is awesome!! It’s quite far away though. I’ll be coming to Europe next Summer, but it is still not just around the corner. Can one get there by plane or are there only ferries?
They have one main airport on the Island of Vágar. This airport was built by the Brittish armed forces during World War 2. Vágar Island connects via a toll road Tunnel to the Island of Streymoy, upon which the Faroese capital Tórshavn is situated.
I find it funny how a forum about a country in the middle of the northern Atlantic Ocean, with a (probably) 1-2% black population, can become a discussion about black Americans… What the hoof? Grow up and pick on a KKK forum for fuck sake! At least I get to stay home eating pilot whale meat.
What is an Orca? It is a human without an internet connection.
Read this article and then stop wasting time and enjoy the view of the Faroe Islands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca
My daughter had the faroe islands in her devotion book by Rebecca St. James,who has visited your beautiful islands. We were curious and looked them up online. We were amazed at the beauty just in the pictures. Pictures usually capture a small portion of what would be enjoyed in person and the pictures are breathtaking. I see why so many enjoy visiting and living there.
We would like to one day visit and take in all the wonderful sites and culture. Thank you for sharing.
USA
Je viens de lire les commentaires concernant cette pratique qui consiste à chasser le baleine en bord de mer pour des jeunes qui ne connaissent que la violence et non pas l’amour de l’être qui existait avant nous soit l’animal et je suis terrorisée de voir que nous n’avons pas plus évolué que les prédateurs. Je suis membre Greenpeace et SPA je ne peux tolérer de telles pratiques. Apprenez à nager avec ces êtres dénués de méchanceté comme je l’ai fait et vous comprendrez mieux que nous avons tout apprendre d’eux et sur nous-mêmes. Les coutumes ancestrales et primaires doivent être révolues une bonne fois. Evoluons ! cela ne pourra qu’être bénéfique pour le genre humain, tout le monde s’indigne devant les guerres mais il y a certains massacres qui ne devraient pas exister, apprenez à reconnaître les êtres d’amour, et n’oubliez pas ils étaient là avant nous alors cessez de vous placer au dessus de la chaîne
Pour ma part, si je dois visiter ce pays qui doit être magnifique je me rendrais certainement dans ces îles afin de combattre ces massacres. Merci
Thank you Monique for your nice comments.
I have translated using google translate so that others can read your comments (see below)
“I just read the comments on the practice of hunting whales in the sea for people who know only violence and not the love of being that existed before us is an animal and I’m terrified to see that we have not evolved as predators. I am a member Greenpeace SPA and I can not tolerate such practices. Learn to swim with these beings devoid of malice as I did and you will understand better that we learn from them and about ourselves. Ancestral customs and primary should be gone once. Evoluon! this can only be beneficial for the human race, everyone is outraged at the war but there are some massacres that should not exist, learn to recognize the beings of love, and remember they were there before then we cease to place above the chain
For my part, if I visit this country must be beautiful I made certainly in these islands to combat the killings. Thank you”