The coastal village of Bour. It's located on Vágar island, one of 18 that make up the Faroe Islands.Ming Wong/The Globe and Mail
The Faroe Islands are as off-the-grid as you can get. Located between Scotland and Iceland, the archipelago of 18 islands may not be as well known as other parts of Scandinavia, but the small nation of 54,000 boasts panoramic views of the North Atlantic ocean and picturesque landscapes framed by majestic cliffs and mountains.
Even the temperamental weather – they say you can experience all four seasons in a day – adds to the rugged charm of the Faroe Islands.
The far-flung Danish territory’s unscathed beauty is an ideal destination for visitors searching for remote experiences and foodies who want fresh dining, especially fish. But its reputation only came to fruition in recent years, after the territory bounced back from a population decline.
Younger generations were leaving for opportunities abroad, with little appreciation for their culture and traditions, according to my tour guide, Hogni Reistrup. He co-wrote a book on this topic (Exit Foroyar) and he himself moved away to Denmark and Ireland before coming back home.
Nowadays, more people are staying put, and businesses are increasingly embracing their roots on Foroyar, the Faroese name for the islands, which also translates as “sheep islands.” As sheep outnumber the Faroese population, sheep sightings are commonplace: on the sides of roads and even sometimes atop the grass-covered roofs of houses.
You can find grass-covered roofs all over the Faroe Islands, including at Barbara’s Fish House, a seafood restaurant in Torshavn.Ming Wong/The Globe and Mail
Harriet Olafsdottir av Gordum's house and property, where she offers heimablídni, or home hospitality.Harriet Olafsdottir av Gordum/Supplied
Reistrup drove my tour group 30 minutes from Torshavn, the capital city where we stayed, to Aeduvik – a remote village of about 100 people on the southern tip of Eysturoy. We were there to try heimablidni, which translates to “home hospitality.” Guests can experience a Faroese meal in their hosts’ home and hear stories of what life is like on the islands.
Farmer Harriet Olafsdottir av Gordum and her "moneymaker" ram, Elias.Ming Wong/The Globe and Mail
Our hosts Harriet Olafsdottir av Gordum and her husband John served a traditional feast of locally sourced foods: a chilled appetizer of lamb sausages, eggs and shrimp; an entrée of roasted lamb; and rhubarb cake for dessert.
Olafsdottir av Gordum comes from a family of sheep farmers, and when she took over the family business, she gave it her own spin.
“I grew up doing this, but I also always saw the struggles of what my family had to do,” she said. “And the farm was never a profit, and it was always an expense.”
But what if the farm can work in their favour? They have the acreage, so they built a bed and breakfast advertised as a luxury farm stay. In an age of farmers’ markets, guests appreciate locally grown produce instead of imported, so they grew their own vegetables. And what better marketing than her flock? Olafsdottir av Gordum’s photos of her sheep adorned in flower crowns are a big draw on social media. She dubs Elias, the regal-looking ram, as her “money maker” as he looks great on camera, and brings in visitors who want to meet him in real life.
Olafsdottir av Gordum’s entrepreneurial spirit is shared by many other locals who also run businesses promoting the Faroe Islands’ traditions with a twist.
The Faer Isles Distillery. You can pay for a tour and sample their liquors at their distillery/visitor centre in Vestmanna.Ming Wong/The Globe and Mail
Bogi Mouritsen was one of those who moved away from the islands but has since returned. He and his two co-founders dreamed of making Faroese whisky; co-founder Danial Hoydal said they wanted to “bottle the Faroe Islands.” In the town of Vestmanna, they established Faer Isles Distillery, which offers tours of their facility and tastings by appointment.
Faer Isles Distillery co-founders Danial Hoydal (left) and Bogi Mouritsen.Ming Wong/The Globe and Mail
I didn’t get a chance to taste their whisky as it still needs time to mature, but I sampled their other products such as akvavit, a traditional Nordic aperitif, and their subsea vodka, made with freshwater from below the seabed found underneath one of the inter-island tunnels. Sub-level sea isn’t a flavour you can taste, but the vodka goes down smoothly.
Other than tunnels, travelling by water is another option to get around. On Vagar island, captain Ellef Ellefsen took us on a boat tour to experience the islands from the sea. That trip was equal parts thrilling and stunning, as we zipped along the fjord and got up close to the Drangarnir sea arch, the Islands’ famous rock formation that rises out of the North Atlantic Ocean and stands 230 feet tall. From far away, it looked like it was sliced on an angle, but that’s just the natural formation from glacial and ocean erosion.
The dramatic Drangarnir sea stacks.Ricardo Braz/Supplied
We docked in the village of Bour, where Ellefsen took us to another venture he is a part of: Fjosid, a cattle barn that was converted into a restaurant and event space. We tried skerpikjot: wind-dried fermented lamb that’s hung in a shed for seven to nine months. It looks like burgundy-coloured prosciutto, but with a gamey taste. Locals typically eat it on bread with a smear of butter and a sprinkle of salt. In true fashion, we ran into the paramedic who made the lamb.
Fermented lamb, or skerpikjot, being cut.Ingrid Hofstra/Supplied
In Sorvagur, also on Vagar island, we meet another multihypenate. Arnjohn Hvitklett was a former shepherd who works for the local airline but also provides guided hikes with his sheepdog, Gin. He led us on a hike through a local’s private property, which is common as long as you get permission or book with a guide.
One perk of hiking in someone’s backyard is that you’re not fighting for views with other tourists. You’re also not restricted to a single path so you can spread out and roam, much like the sheep who are regulars on these hills.
I’ve hiked plenty, but I’ve never gotten as close to a cliff’s edge as this one. With Hvitklett’s guidance, our group walked down a narrow path to reach a grassy platform with an exhilarating view of the Dunnesdrangar rock pillar rising out of the ocean.
I needed nothing to enhance a view this impressive, but I didn’t mind indulging in the glass of Champagne that Reistrup offered us as a toast to reaching the summit.
If you go
Icelandair flies out of Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and for the summer season, Halifax, to the Faroe Islands, with a layover in Keflavik airport in Iceland. The weather can be windy and unpredictable, and it typically rains two thirds of the year, so pack accordingly.
Credit cards are accepted around the islands and if you use cash, bring only Faroese and Danish kroners.
The best way to get around is by car, as most of the main islands are connected by tunnels (some with tolls). There are more sheep than people, so watch out for them on the road.
Guided tours around the islands, like the Dunnesdrangar hike, are available on Guide to Faroe Islands.
To translate Faroese, use Sprotin, a free online dictionary, or Bing. Both are better bets than Google Translate.
Where to stay: Rooms at the four-star Hotel Brandan in Torshavn start at around $400 a night in the summer season. Bed and breakfasts such as Harriet and John’s Hanusarstova can be found across the islands, and cost less. As the Faroe Islands can be pricey, a budget-friendly option is to combine your lodging and transportation with RV camping. Camper-van rentals sleeping two start at around $230 a day; campsites often allow you to park for about $20 a night.
The writer was a guest of Visit Faroe Islands. It did not review or approve the story before publication.