scot47

In Scotland we have the Faroes as a near neighbour. How is that no one in Scotland knows anything about the place - apart from the annual whale hunt ?

Gordon Barlow

A few years ago Scottish football fans would have known about their footballing prowess. In 1999 and 2002 Faroes drew with Scotland in the European Championship. Not bad for a population of 40,000 or so!

edp

I have always been interested in visiting. I have a danish friend who went as part of his military service and said it was a very religious place. It sounds quite a cosy place. I think the football thing is amazing, when i was a kid i thought it would be my only chance of playing in Europe. Statistically you have quite good odds at playing for a European premier league team if you live in the faroes and dont have two left feet! 20000 men, <>5000 of footballing age, <> 2500 interested, <> 300 playing in the top Faroe league. Thats pretty good odds. Too late now, alas.

scot47

There used to be a ferry from Scotland but now you have to travel via Denmark. Weather must be pretty wild in the winter !

materialcontroller

The Smyril Line ferry MS Norröna no longer calls in Lerwick, which is a shame. I'm travelling on it from Hirtshals in Denmark to Tórshavn next year, for my first visit to the Faroe Islands and (hopefully) to see the total solar eclipse of March 20th 2015. Maybe the aurora borealis might even put in an appearance as well, if the whole place isn't greyed out by clouds!

http://www.smyrilline.com/Total-Sola...015-19555.aspx

BEVS

Trying not to be envious.

I hope you will share some photos. I'd love to be that way for both the eclipse and also the aurora borealis. Fingers crossed for some sunspot activity at that time.

scot47

Interesting that Faroe has a growing population whereas our Scottish islands are all in decline - even the Shetlands !

Gordon Barlow

Ah, wait till the Shetlands vote to go independent of a newly independent Scotland! Then, with all their (Shetlands') oil, there will be a great need for immigrants.

scot47

Faroes' prosperity is almost certainly connected to the fact that they are autonomous. Compare the disastrous fall in population in Orkney (and Shetland) with Faroes.

materialcontroller

Although they are currency linked to Denmark via the krone. Maybe being outside the EU has something to do with it.

scot47

Like Burkina Faso is not in the EU so it is......Ah, just a minute !