Halfway between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean, there’s a group of
18 rocky, volcanic islands.
These are the Faroe Islands. They’re isolated and spectacular.
I’ve come to the capital Tórshavn.
I want to get a taste of what it’s like living on this remote and lush archipelago.
The mail service here plays a crucial role in island life, so my first stop is at the
postal headquarters.
Richard.
Rókur.
All the post comes in, the freight comes in, we sort it, we put it en route and deliver
it to the different islands.
The service delivers the post two days a week, using everything from scooters, to boats and
helicopters.
Rókur is taking me to the helipad, and I’m going to take a delivery to Mykines, the Faroes’
westernmost island.
How important has the post been to keep people on the Faroe Islands?
Postal services are crucial for any society. More and more things we buy will be delivered
by post.
The population across the Faroes is about 51,000 people, but Mykines has just 14 full-time
inhabitants.
Thanks to the weather, for eight months of the year, pretty much the only way for residents
to get on and off the island is by helicopter.
Less than 15 minutes after taking off, we’re on the ground at Mykines, unloading everything
from bananas, to washing machines, and sheepdogs.
Ronja í Eyðunsstovu has lived her whole life in Mykines.
Hey. I’m Richard.
Hi. I’m Ronja.
It’s a bit like stepping back in time this. What do people do here, apart from deliver
the post?
Probably the best is being a farmer, because there are a lot of sheep.
This delivery is for Oda Andreasen who runs a local guesthouse.
Hi there. I’m Richard.
Hi, I’m Oda.
Although very charming, the village itself isn’t the key attraction here, and after
a quick cup of tea, Oda and I set off on Mykines’s most renowned walk.
It’s to the island’s lighthouse, at the westernmost point of the Faroe Islands.
I’m guessing it’s not this good weather every day, right?
No.
Oda sets a fast pace, which never really lets up, but I do get the odd break.
This is the most awe-inspiring place. It’s exactly why i wanted to come here.
The island’s main drawcard, its puffins, have mostly left for the year, but we still
see plenty of sheep and gannets, as well as fulmars and guillemots. In peak season up
to 200 tourists a day come to the island.
As for us, after three hours, we arrive at the lighthouse.
It’s been fantastic just being here on our own now. It’s hard to imagine if there were
200 people swarming over here. It’s a very special place.
Yes, I’d be happy with just one boat a day. I would love to see Mykines like an island
like the Galapagos Islands. Very limited. People who come here just for the love of
the birds and then we would maybe limit number of guests coming each day, and give them a
much better experience.
While Oda is keen to avoid the overtourism that’s affecting neighbour Iceland, the
tourists do provide an important financial supplement to the fishing and farming industries
here.
Tourism is growing now so who knows if tourism also will be a new way of making this island
survive with the population in the future.
With the light fading it’s time to head back.
It’s a beautiful evening but actually, tomorrow’s weather forecast isn’t looking great, which
might make the trip back to Tórshavn a little interesting.
Next morning and the weather is indeed quickly changing for the worse. Today the only way
off the island is by boat, and not unusually, departure has been brought forward a few hours.
If you want a sign of why we had to leave Mykines in such a hurry that’s why. The
weather’s changed completely. The clouds and the rain have come in and the sea has
got very choppy, so good that we left when we did.
But in a place where it can rain up to 300 days a year, the scenery has a stark beauty,
no matter what the weather.
It’s an exhilarating boat ride, though I have to say, I’m quite pleased to make it
back to Tórshavn in one piece, to wrap up what’s been a truly
memorable couple of days.
Good to be back on dry land.