The Faroe Islands: majestic, eerie — and only 90 minutes away

I am standing below an amphitheatre of rocky crags. Below me, a cluster of grass-roofed houses; out to sea, the strange, spectacular Tindholmur islet rising sheer from the waves, its snaggletoothed summit shrouded in cloud. The Faroe Islands may only be a 90-minute flight from Edinburgh, but my goodness they feel like a whole other world.
From the hamlet of Gasadalur, I take the short stroll to Mulafossur waterfall, which cascades over a cliff into the Atlantic swell. Near me a few dishevelled sheep munch nonchalantly away, oblivious to the majestic scene below. Then it's off to the equally picturesque village of Bour, famed for its sunset views over the jagged Drangarnir sea stacks. I would love to linger, but I have a dinner date in Miovagur.
My date is Solvi Simonsen, one of a number of Faroe Islanders serving traditional meals in their own homes. I arrive with some trepidation — Faroese delicacies include fermented lamb, boiled pilot whale, and braised seabirds — but Simonsen's home-cooked fried cod, boiled cod and caramelised onions are very nice. Less nice? Skerpikjot — or wind-dried fermented lamb. It is moister and earthier than I was expecting, with a slight ferric tang, and aftertaste of dank sheep. Let's just say it's an acquired taste.
Ferric tangs and aftertastes of dank sheep not your thing? Paz (paz.fo) has just won two Michelin stars in the Faroes' colourful capital, Tórshavn and two other restaurants get a mention. The first is Raest (tasting menu £190, raest.fo) — it means 'fermented', which is the focus of its menu — the second is Roks (tasting menu from £79, roks.fo), which specialises in seafood. I dine at the more modestly priced Katrina Christiansen (£62 for five courses, en.katrina.fo), an atmospheric restaurant housed in a 300-year-old building that has been a barbershop, a shop and the childhood home of a Faroese writer.
I am staying at Hotel Foroyar (doubles from £88, room-only, hotelforoyar.com), a sleek, turf-roofed Bond villain's lair clinging to the slopes above Torshavn. The interior oozes mid-century vibes, and there is a superb spa, but the highlight for me is the view from the hotel's Ruts restaurant, out over the fjord and towards Nolsoy island.
A gentle 20-minute wander downhill from the hotel — be warned, it's a less than gentle march back up — lie the pretty streets of Torshavn. I look for souvenirs in Gudrun & Gudrun (knitwear) and Ostrom (homeware), but mostly I just mooch, soaking up the otherworldly vibe, wondering where else on Earth you'll find a parliament building clad in red timber and roofed in turf.
Sadly, I don't have time to visit Suduroy, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands (it's said to be even more otherworldly than Streymoy, the main island), but do visit the excellent National Museum (£9, tjodsavnid.fo), which houses an original Faroese rowing boat, traditional clothes and Viking finds, plus some exquisitely carved 15th-century pews. A 30-minute drive north from Torshavn, you can join guided tours of the now defunct Vid Air whaling station (£3.40), which was founded in 1905 by a company based in Leith.
Perhaps the Faroes' most surprising attraction is the extraordinary network of inter-island tunnels. One has a giant jellyfish-inspired roundabout, complete with light artwork and continuously looping soundscape installation, which you connect to via your car radio. The artist who made it, Jens L Thomsen, says he still tunes in when driving the tunnels. 'Just to check it's still playing.'
Driving the tunnels feels like an eerie journey to the centre of the Earth. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle ominously as I descend deeper into the underworld, a foreboding sense of doom only lifting as I emerge, blinking into daylight.
• Best things to do in the Faroe Islands
Above water, I drive the poetic route to Sydradalur, a sinuous, snaking route with breathtaking views of Hestur and Koltur islands as the road tightly hugs the coastline. I step out of the car and inhale deeply, closing my eyes to listen to the lullaby of the whispering sea and babbling waterfall, interrupted now and then by the sharp, insistent peeping of an oystercatcher. Thomsen is right: 'There is something about the music of this place that seeps into your DNA.'Cat Thomson was a guest of Visit Faroe Islands (visitfaroeislands.com). Fly to the Vagar from Edinburgh from about £200 return (atlantic.fo)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Revealed: The popular tourist destination where Brits will get the best exchange rate

It feels like it's getting more and more expensive to go abroad, and many Brits are really feeling the pinch when it comes to their holidays. But there's a popular tourist hotspot where your pound will stretch further than anywhere else. Post Office Travel Money's Holiday Spending Report looked at how sterling is performing against its 30 bestselling currencies compared with 12 and three months ago. It reveals that visitors to Turkey from the UK will get the most for their money, due to the ongoing, long-term collapse of the Turkish lira. Over the past three months, the lira has fallen by 12.9 per cent against the pound. And, compared with last June, visitors can now expect to receive around £116 (+30.2 per cent) more when they buy £500 worth of lira. The report also reveals the sterling has bounced back against the US dollar and is currently 6.6 per cent stronger than it was a year ago, and has gained 4.9 per cent in the past three months. For £500, tourists will now receive almost £31 more of US dollars, than they would a year ago. The report also reveals the sterling has bounced back against the US dollar and is currently 6.6 per cent stronger than it was a year ago, but Brits are turning their back on the States Despite this bang for your buck, the report found that many Brits are turning away from travelling to the States. Over half (53 per cent) of those surveyed said they'd actively avoid destinations where they think President Donald Trump's tariffs could affect resort prices, and 39 per cent said they categorically will not travel to the States. But those not wanting to go to the US can still benefit from the dollar recovery, as it extends to the Caribbean and Middle East currencies pegged to the dollar. It means Brits planning trips to Barbados, Antigua, Dubai, and other long-haul holiday favourites will get more for their pounds. Meanwhile, holidaymakers rated Spain (41 per cent), Turkey (35 per cent) and Thailand (31 per cent) best value for money out of 39 worldwide destinations. However, the report found the Thai baht was one of only five of the 30 bestselling currencies to rise in value against sterling. A sterling year-on-year fall of 5.2 per cent means that British visitors will get £27.64 fewer Thai baht on a typical £500 currency transaction. Given that almost half (48 per cent) of holidaymakers said they will choose their destination based on the strength of sterling, two other Far Eastern destinations – Vietnam and Bali - will actually offer Brits more for their money. Visitors to Vietnam will get the equivalent of £42.01 – or 9.2 per cent extra - on a £500 purchase of Vietnamese dong. Those choosing Bali, fourth-placed in the barometer, can expect around £33 (7.1 per cent) more in Indonesian rupiah than a year ago. Laura Plunkett, Head of Travel Money at Post Office, said: 'This year's holiday spending research again demonstrates that holidaymakers don't always set a realistic budget and overspend by large amounts as a result. 'It's great to hear that holidaymakers are already planning to budget more for their holidays this year, to avoid coming unstuck when they arrive at their destination.'

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Revealed: The top 10 trending Greek islands you should book this summer - including a paradise with over 60 incredible beaches

Greece remains a go-to summer holiday destination, with tourists drawn by its crystal-clear waters, ancient ruins and laid-back lifestyle. With record-breaking numbers seen in 2024 – 40 million visitors bringing in almost £20 billion in revenue – the figures for 2025 are expected to be even higher. Now new research shows which of the thousands of Greek islands are surging in interest for holidaymakers. The travel experts at Iglu Cruise have compared Google Trends search data between 2024 and 2025 and narrowed down a top 10 that is really heating up. Among the top islands, there's a mix of classic holiday spots and some new favourites. The destination that saw the biggest increase was Paros, with 283 per cent more people searching for 'holidays to Paros' in the first week of June this year compared to 12 months ago. The island, part of the Cyclades, is known for pristine beaches, classic whitewashed villages, and its prized marble – the same that was used to sculpt the Venus de Milo. 'Paros is easily becoming a top competitor of Mykonos,' said Iglu Cruise. 'Add in windsurfing at Golden Beach and hidden mountain villages like Lefkés, and you've got an island that truly has it all.' While Paros has exploded in popularity, the next island has also seen a huge boost in people searching for breaks on its shores. Skiathos is a nature lover's paradise with a lush pine forest and more than 60 incredible beaches – and it has seen a 110 per cent rise in searches. Culture lovers will head to the historic Monastery of Evangelistria but whatever your interests, be sure to jump on a boat tour, stopping at beaches and caves only accessible by water. Searches for holidays in Mykonos also more than doubled compared to the same period in 2024. The renowned party island still enthralls with its buzzing nightlife but there are also chic boutiques and (rather more sedate) windmills. In fourth place is the postcard-perfect Santorini, with its cliffside villages and caldera views ensuring it remains a crowd favourite. Searches for a getaway are up 89 per cent. While there, be sure to hike from Fira to Oia for an unforgettable sunset. The ancient ruins, brilliant food and rugged gorges of Greece's largest island, Crete, have helped it garner a 55 per cent increase in search interest. The other islands rounding out the top 10 are Rhodes (searches up 53 per cent), Corfu (52 per cent), Kefalonia (44 per cent), Kos (26 per cent) and Zante (13 per cent). This week, British tourists escaping to a popular Greek island this summer were being urged to double-check their flight times after one visitor was left stranded due to a strict airport curfew. Night flights from Zante are heavily restricted to protect the island's loggerhead sea turtles. The curfew, which has been in place since the early 1990s, aims to minimise disruptions to their nesting patterns at night on Zante's southern beaches, especially during the busy summer months.

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo enjoy 'slice of heaven' vacation... nearly three years after 'sexting' scandal

Adam Levine and wife Behati Prinsloo seemed to be having the time of their lives if photos the model posted on social media are any indication. Prinsloo, 37, shared the fun-filled photos on her Instagram page on Thursday, writing that they were reflecting 'A slice of heaven,' though she didn't say where they and their family and friends were visiting. The couple appeared to be reinvigorating their romance almost three years after their marriage was beset by the Maroon 5 frontman's sordid 'sexting' scandal. Levine, 46, and his family chartered a luxury yacht that appeared to be tooling around the Mediterranean. One photo showed the runway regular flaunting her long, lean legs in a navy blue one-piece bathing suit with white trim. The cover model placed a dark towel over her shoulder and wore a beige billed hat and sunglasses as folks behind her worked with a motorized dingy used to transport guests to shore. A group shot featured several adults and kids out on the deck of the ship enjoying a little sunbathing. Levine seemed to enjoy getting some sun while a knee-length pair of swim shorts and a straw western hat against the backdrop of sapphire blue waters and towering cliffs. One sweet shot showed the Sugar singer holding hands with one of his daughters and his son as they looked over the rail of the yacht and into the horizon. The couple are the parents to daughters Dusty Rose, eight; Gio Grace, seven and a son, two, whose name has not has not been released. After seeing the photos, fellow model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley responded with a series of heart emojis, as did several others. 'What an awesome trip. Family and friends, the best!❤️,' commented a fan. 'Perfection!' stated another. Many guessed the group was enjoying time in Italy after seeing a photo of Levine in front of a Gelato sign. 'Family goals ❤️ love Italy and Capri,' wrote a fan. The scene of domestic bliss was a far cry from the drama of 2022, when the Levine–Prinsloo marriage was rocked after several women shared screenshots of what they said were flirty texts sent to them by the singer. One of the women even claimed to have had an affair with the Misery singer, which he denied. He did, however, apologize for the inappropriate messages, saying he 'used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner.' Earlier in the week, Prinsloo posted a sweet selfie of herself and Levine, writing 'LOML [Love of my Life]' next to it. Levine and Maroon 5 have a light summer touring schedule planned. The band is set to perform in Endicott, New York, on July 11; New York City on August 11 and September 19 in Las Vegas at the iHeart Music Festival.