The Faroe Islands: The Sheep Islands

Photos of the Faroe Islands

Located north of Scotland and midway between Iceland and Norway, this arrowhead-shaped archipelago of 18 basalt crags on the very edge of Europe the Faroe Islands were born of volcanic activity some 55 million years ago. Shrouded in mist and fog for many days of the year, they soar dramatically straight up out of the wild North Atlantic Ocean and are bedecked with a verdure resembling crumpled green velvet.

Their often turbulent weather creates an ever-changing backdrop to pyramidal mountains, petrol-blue fjords, gnarly sea stacks and roaring waterfalls plunging down over vertiginous coastal cliffs that harbour thousands of wailing seabirds, making them a spectacular Nordic version of Hawaii. In the summer they have almost 24 hours of daylight and it never gets really dark.

Sunrise and sunset seem to merge into one, creating dramatic light conditions which are enough to send photographers into rhapsody! In winter the days are short with around five hours of daylight, and the remarkably clear air sometimes bestows the landscape with an exceptional light and luminosity. On clear nights the aurora can dance across star-strewn skies.