Faroe Islands in pictures

Ever-changing light and shade give the Faroe Islands an otherworldly charm

The weather conditions can be a challenge to air traffic

The grass-roofed buildings to the left house the Faroese government

Saksun church, like many older buildings, also sports a turf roof

Tjornuvik, across the headland from Saksun, is one of the oldest settlements on the Faroes

The character of the landscape changes dramatically with the weather

In most Faroese villages, buildings are packed tightly together

The village of Gasadalur enjoys a spectacular setting

Bour, a few mies away, was once accessible to the residents of Gasadalur only by means of a strenuous hike

Its own residents have views across the fjord to the island of Mykines

Tunnels through mountains and under the Atlantic are an astonishing feat of engineering (photo by Hans Juul Hansen)

Mykines, the most westerly of the Faroes, can be reached only by ferry or helicopter...

Or, for the resident birdlife, by wing-power.

Puffins and other birds are among the islands’s biggest draws

Beyond the puffin colony, you can hike to the lighthouse at the westernmost point of the island

When summer skies are clear, dusk lasts all night