Tales from the far-flung Faroes(bbc.co.uk)
bbc.co.uk
Tales from the far-flung Faroes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/faroe_islands_postal_service
18 comments
99% of all of the small huts you see on those 'abandoned' islands were never residences but hunting cabins, and many of them are still used as shelter for this purpose.
The hunting in question being birds and also repelling down the cliffs to retrieve eggs.
The hunting in question being birds and also repelling down the cliffs to retrieve eggs.
What site is this ? Does not open properly on mobile. Photo cuts of due to add for app on header.
There’s an iOS app called Unobstruct that provides an extension that will removed position: fixed elements. It helped here.
Beautiful pictures!
How does one set up a visit? Did you go on a tour of some kind or did you plan it all yourself?
How does one set up a visit? Did you go on a tour of some kind or did you plan it all yourself?
I visited in September (emerging into low seasons). There were two flight options into Vagar (FAE is the airport code): 1 - Edinburgh, Scotland / 2 - Copenhagen, Denmark. These options do not fly everyday. So if you're using Kayak, etc. and there is no flight, increment your dates until you see a flight. We actually arrived via Edinburg and left via Copenhagen.
We rented from a local rental car [1]. It's a small operation. There is no specific car rental place, they will tell you where in the parking lot the car is, the car's license plate, etc. and you'll find it with the keys inside.
We found a place via AirBnB. It was like 10-15 min away from the airport, and we found the location ideal to explore the entire islands that's accessible by car (or car/ferry).
Our hosts(this was the true AirBnB experience) would prepare us freshly caught fish for breakfast. We became friends with their very playful(intelligent) Border Collie dog. And when we left they came with us to the airport to send us off and we all had a bit of a teary eye moment.
The people are rather friendly, the driving is easy and accessible and it's just a magical place. It'll become the next Iceland, IMHO. With lots of IG hipsters wanting their photos on top of one of these cliffs.
If you can, take a drone. Just be careful with the birds.
But yes, you can easily (I would recommend it) DIY your visit there.
[1] http://www.unicar.fo
We rented from a local rental car [1]. It's a small operation. There is no specific car rental place, they will tell you where in the parking lot the car is, the car's license plate, etc. and you'll find it with the keys inside.
We found a place via AirBnB. It was like 10-15 min away from the airport, and we found the location ideal to explore the entire islands that's accessible by car (or car/ferry).
Our hosts(this was the true AirBnB experience) would prepare us freshly caught fish for breakfast. We became friends with their very playful(intelligent) Border Collie dog. And when we left they came with us to the airport to send us off and we all had a bit of a teary eye moment.
The people are rather friendly, the driving is easy and accessible and it's just a magical place. It'll become the next Iceland, IMHO. With lots of IG hipsters wanting their photos on top of one of these cliffs.
If you can, take a drone. Just be careful with the birds.
But yes, you can easily (I would recommend it) DIY your visit there.
[1] http://www.unicar.fo
You paid 20 euros, Danish taxpayers paid the rest. The 50k people in the Faroes are subsidized to the tune of 100m a year, which comes out to over $2k/person/year.
Update: Math fixed. That's actually less than I thought...
Update: Math fixed. That's actually less than I thought...
The Danish subsidy is 86 million euros. It's approximately 3% of the annual Faroese GDP.
Of course it has a positive effect, but I think you (and most Danes) are severely over-estimating the impact of that subsidy.
I don't think it makes sense to compare the subsidy to GDP. Compared to the government budget it is likely a large multiple of those 3%.
Might wanna check your arithmetic.
I'm honestly baffled that it's so low.
I think it's safe to assume that the reason that Denmark does so is to assert territorial control over sub-oceanic resources that are hypothesized to exist. It's probably a sound investment.
I'm honestly baffled that it's so low.
I think it's safe to assume that the reason that Denmark does so is to assert territorial control over sub-oceanic resources that are hypothesized to exist. It's probably a sound investment.
There's a lot of hidden subsidies in things like teachers and doctors coming over from Denmark for a few years, and I suspect they don't include the cost of the naval support either.
I don't think one can overestimate the geo-political value that Denmark earns from having the Faroe Islands and Greenland under the Danish crown.
Surely one does not need to be jaded to think that there is a reason other than altruism that makes Danish politicians vote in favor of paying this subsidy each year.
Surely one does not need to be jaded to think that there is a reason other than altruism that makes Danish politicians vote in favor of paying this subsidy each year.
Fishing rights EEZ
Wow. The island with just two families that you have to get to by helicopter is hard to wrap my head around! It seems like using a helicopter to go anywhere would be expensive... and yet, they must use it for all kinds of things. If I hadn't read it and seen pictures, I would think the impracticalities of this situation would make it fundamentally impossible to do long-term. Yet, people are doing it. They have a clearly very nice homestead and a way of life that is working for them.
In Switzerland they use helicopters for everything, even for normal building construction instead of a crane. Very wealthy countries can get away with it..in which the Faroes are as a part of Denmark.
This is also the place where their tourism promotion agency did "Google sheep view"
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&ei=plISW_-wDYjV8AOv552...
https://youtu.be/6KubWaYvRGE
https://www.google.com/search?num=100&ei=plISW_-wDYjV8AOv552...
https://youtu.be/6KubWaYvRGE
Random trivia if you're into soccer and/or underdog stories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnbZHNS4O1k
I’m a a Scot, The Faroes also pushed us close a couple of times. Some countries dread drawing France, Italy or Germany in their group for the World Cup or European Championshp, I dread the Faroe Islands lest we have another fucking away game in Toftir...
My mom took me and my sister hiking on Faroe islands in the 80s. Boat from Bergen, Norway.
We went to Mykines and I remember a village full of dogs roaming around free. This was heaven for my animal obsessed 12 year old self.
And some hanging rope bridge high over the sea between to islands. Mum tied herself, my sister and I together with a rope. Not sure that would have worked...
We went to Mykines and I remember a village full of dogs roaming around free. This was heaven for my animal obsessed 12 year old self.
And some hanging rope bridge high over the sea between to islands. Mum tied herself, my sister and I together with a rope. Not sure that would have worked...
I think the bridge has be replaced since the eighties, but here's what it looks like now:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mykines+bridge&hl=en&source=...
https://www.google.com/search?q=mykines+bridge&hl=en&source=...
Wow. What a life. Makes you wonder, are they more/less happy than us in our technology/busting cities lifestyles?
Pretty sure you'll find a lot of people lonelier via social medias than these people on remote places.
Pretty sure you'll find a lot of people lonelier via social medias than these people on remote places.
On the other hand, life might be harder for people who don't fit in well and then don't have anywhere else to socialize; the lack of privacy and constant gossiping probably doesn't help either. I grew up in a 1000-people village (not on an island though) and experienced this to some extent, but would imagine this to be much worse in such tiny communities.
I've lived on a remote island and now live in a big city surrounded by more cities. Your question doesn't make sense to me. It's like asking which group of people have better health, people whose first names are longer than their last names or the other way around.
I’d be very surprised if per capita suicide rates aren’t lower on Faroe than in Denmark. Community reduces loneliness, industrial society leads to anomie and isolation. Isolation and anomie make suicide more likely.
You assert that because one key aspect of human need is improved that others arent harmed in equal measure at the same time.
Who knows which is a larger factor in suicide. Social Pressure from being bullied by your only community is probably a stronger force than loneliness.
Who knows which is a larger factor in suicide. Social Pressure from being bullied by your only community is probably a stronger force than loneliness.
Despite the Faroese people's issue with Denmark, it cannot be denied that the Faroese Islands (and Greenland for that matter) are heavy reliant on Denmark. As the article mentions, most of the islands' infrastructure comes courtesy of Denmark.
While calls for independence are far louder on Greenland than on the Faroese Islands, there is nonetheless a sense dislike for Denmark both places. Although, it seems the Faroese politicians recognises that independence would not be a good move for them.
And before people say, hey, it worked out for Iceland pretty well; Iceland has several advantages to it that made that possible: Far easier geography than the Faroese Islands or Greenland. Far more people (300,000 vs 50,000 today). And during the Second World War, when it happened, the US was also helping Iceland with the money to maintain some livelihood.
I doubt the US will help Greenland or the Faroese Islands in that endeavour today. The US already got Thule Airbase.
While calls for independence are far louder on Greenland than on the Faroese Islands, there is nonetheless a sense dislike for Denmark both places. Although, it seems the Faroese politicians recognises that independence would not be a good move for them.
And before people say, hey, it worked out for Iceland pretty well; Iceland has several advantages to it that made that possible: Far easier geography than the Faroese Islands or Greenland. Far more people (300,000 vs 50,000 today). And during the Second World War, when it happened, the US was also helping Iceland with the money to maintain some livelihood.
I doubt the US will help Greenland or the Faroese Islands in that endeavour today. The US already got Thule Airbase.
Can you point out to me where in the article it states that most of the infrastructure comes from Denmark? All I found was an example of a boat that had been built in Denmark and bought from Spain.
The huge subsidy you're talking about accounts for about 3% of the annual Faroese GDP. It's gone down from 11.2% since 2000.
From my perspective, it seems like most Danish people have a very uneducated perspective of the Faroese dependence.
The huge subsidy you're talking about accounts for about 3% of the annual Faroese GDP. It's gone down from 11.2% since 2000.
From my perspective, it seems like most Danish people have a very uneducated perspective of the Faroese dependence.
While it is true, that today the subsidy from Denmark is minor relative to Faroese GDP, to a point where one might wonder why they need the money at all? (Besides, I don't think I made any actual specific references to that subsidy.)
The infrastructure, I am referring to, was built several decades ago (with the exception of some newer additions that was built by the Faroese themselves, like the Norðoyatunnilin), at a time where the Faroese GDP was much lower.
In particular, Denmark had to bail out the Faroese Islands during their financial crisis from 1989 to 1995, through loans.
When I say 'reliant' on Denmark, I don't mean in direct financial terms. I mean in terms of foreign, military and judicial dependence. In 2005, Denmark gave the Faroese government permission to establish Faroese missions within Danish embassies. That's a huge advantage to them, being able to use existing Danish infrastructure for their foreign endeavours.
Indeed, the agreement of 2005, the so-called "Fámjin Declaration", has practically eased tensions between Denmark and the Faroese Islands, and calls for independence gets very little press time any more.
And lastly, the subsidy you refer to is just the subsidy in direct cash from the Danish government, there are several other ways Denmark supports the Faroese, both nationally and internationally, which value would probably be far larger than the subsidy itself. To summarise; it is an advantage for the Faroese Islands to remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The infrastructure, I am referring to, was built several decades ago (with the exception of some newer additions that was built by the Faroese themselves, like the Norðoyatunnilin), at a time where the Faroese GDP was much lower.
In particular, Denmark had to bail out the Faroese Islands during their financial crisis from 1989 to 1995, through loans.
When I say 'reliant' on Denmark, I don't mean in direct financial terms. I mean in terms of foreign, military and judicial dependence. In 2005, Denmark gave the Faroese government permission to establish Faroese missions within Danish embassies. That's a huge advantage to them, being able to use existing Danish infrastructure for their foreign endeavours.
Indeed, the agreement of 2005, the so-called "Fámjin Declaration", has practically eased tensions between Denmark and the Faroese Islands, and calls for independence gets very little press time any more.
And lastly, the subsidy you refer to is just the subsidy in direct cash from the Danish government, there are several other ways Denmark supports the Faroese, both nationally and internationally, which value would probably be far larger than the subsidy itself. To summarise; it is an advantage for the Faroese Islands to remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
And it's an advantage to Denmark to have them. So mutually beneficial, no?
I personally think so. I hope other Danes think so. I may joke occasionally about the Faroese Islands and Greenland, but in reality, I hope they stay part of the Kingdom of Denmark, because it's a mutual beneficial arrangement.
I traveled with two 18 year old danes last spring and they were complaining about Iceland being such a drag on Denmark. When I told them Iceland was independent and they must be talking about Faroe Islands they were told me both were part of Denmark. With the ridiculous low amount of data points I think danish education on these matters is lacking.
Greenland perhaps?
This sounds like any number of conversations with ill-informed voters around the world. I suppose we’re all under-informed on topics but I try to shut up about it when I am.
This sounds like any number of conversations with ill-informed voters around the world. I suppose we’re all under-informed on topics but I try to shut up about it when I am.
The Faroe Islands have to be dependent on someone because they’re certainly not capable of defending themselves. That someone could be the EU if it had a credible collective military deterrent but it doesn’t and it’s not acquiring one any time soon.
Unless war never returns to Europe in which case I worry needlessly.
Unless war never returns to Europe in which case I worry needlessly.
That's funny. I seem to recall from history classes that it was the British that came to the Faroe Island's defense on a previous historic occasion. (For obvious strategic reasons to do with the geographic location in the North Atlantic.) What did the Danish do on that occasion, I wonder? That's right, they surrendered to the Germans. (Understandably, I might add.)
Look, the Faroe Islands do get a lot out of being so intimately tied to to Denmark, but let's not oversell it, OK?
Look, the Faroe Islands do get a lot out of being so intimately tied to to Denmark, but let's not oversell it, OK?
The British weren't defending the Faroes, they were defending themselves.
It's just a question of "someone's going to take it, so we should take it first".. similar to the british and subsequent american occupation of Iceland.
It's just a question of "someone's going to take it, so we should take it first".. similar to the british and subsequent american occupation of Iceland.
Well, duh. Point remains that Denmark was completely incapable of defending the Faroes and thus a "union" with Denmark is completely absurd if you're going to argue it from a defense perspective (as the OP did).
The Danes couldn’t defend themselves so the Germans took over. The Faroe Islands couldn’t defend themselves so the. Ritual took over. The Icelanders couldn’t defend themselves so the Americans took over. If you can’t defend yourself you’re as sovereign as the powers who could conquer you allow you to be.
> they’re certainly not capable of defending themselves
This is true of most countries in the Caribbean, but being close to a big, heavily armed, friendly world power (as the Faroes are to the UK) is usually sufficient.
This is true of most countries in the Caribbean, but being close to a big, heavily armed, friendly world power (as the Faroes are to the UK) is usually sufficient.
Iceland got the MOST amount of Marshall plan monies per capita than ANY other country in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan#cite_note-97
The military base that left in 1992 also employed many many icelanders and brought cheap goods and high salaries to the country.
The US has been making noise about re-opening an Airbase in Greenland lately however.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan#cite_note-97
The military base that left in 1992 also employed many many icelanders and brought cheap goods and high salaries to the country.
The US has been making noise about re-opening an Airbase in Greenland lately however.
Another article about the Faroe Islands - this one about women from abroad moving to marry Faroese men.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39703486
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39703486
Oh, a small island, not Rockall.
Rockall isnt an island - it was reclassified as an islet. I imagine to stop any interlopers assigning 200km fishing or drilling rights
Are there dictionary definitions of "islet" that don't amount to "small island"?
I get that you are talking about a legal distinction, but no reason to expect such specific usage in casual conversation.
I get that you are talking about a legal distinction, but no reason to expect such specific usage in casual conversation.
If at the highest tides waves crash over, it isnt an island. If the saltwater spay is so much that no plantlife grows, it is only a rock.
You can survive on Rockall, you can't live there.
Apparently, the Faroe Islands are a lot more religious than is the norm among other nordic countries:
https://satwcomic.com/it-s-important-to-know-what-you-like
https://satwcomic.com/ungodly-surprise
https://satwcomic.com/it-s-important-to-know-what-you-like
https://satwcomic.com/ungodly-surprise
[deleted]
What does this country produce? The article gave me the impression that all the work is logistics.
As you might be able to imagine, mainly fish.
"The vast majority of Faroese exports, almost 95%, consists of fishery products"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Faroe_Islands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Faroe_Islands
Also, as I’ve met lots of Faroese sailors while working in the offshore industry, I’d imagine those not carrying the mail or working the fisheries are crewing vessels.
Don't forget checking out Svalbard [1], it's much larger, way northern and a lot less people.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard
How do they maintain genetic diversity on such small islands?
Many locals move away, and many Danes move there later in life.
Danes moving there in later life aren't likely to add much to the gene pool, at least not the women.
Beautifully desolate photos.
It'd be nice if the author dialed back the oh-so-clever display of the photos. What's wrong with just putting in the photos like on a magazine page? Geez. I want to look at the pictures, not irritating overlays and weird scrolling.
I suppose it's the modern version of blinky text.
I suppose it's the modern version of blinky text.
I've hated this style of scroll-but-not-scroll technique ever since first seeing it on some NYT article a few years ago. It's never grown on me; it feels unnatural and annoying.
I've given up on some recent moderately interesting nyt articles because the scroll direction kept changing. It was just too exhausting.
So that's why my 512mb phone keeps crashing on OOM
hestefisk(1)
[deleted]
Because helicopter is really needed, it's treated like public transportation. So it's almost like the cost of Uber ride on Bay Area. I think we paid like $20 or so for a 15-20 min flight. However, to reduce tourist abuse, you can only take the helicopter one-way. But when we visited, it was very low season and helicopter was pretty much empty and they allowed us to take a roundtrip flight which was quite amazing.
That being said, on our last full day we took a boat ride. Where the pilot showed us some of uninhabited islands. Like you read this in this article. He would point to a hut on a small abandon island and he would say: no one has lived here since 1998 (or something like that). On that same boat ride we hit some rainy weather, and part of the highlight of the trip is the boat going through this giant rock formation by the cliffs. It was almost like being inside the movie King Kong. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life.
One more interesting experience was arriving there. Firstly the airport is on this strange and scary location. Secondly, on arrival (because of high tariff rates) you see people buying cases of Coca Cola, etc at duty-free shop before officially entering into the country. I highly recommend visiting there.
[1] https://www.eyeem.com/p/121810400 [2] https://www.eyeem.com/p/121804039 [3] https://www.eyeem.com/p/93320647 [4] https://www.eyeem.com/p/93320500