Faroe, Shetland Offer Unique Views Of Remote Island Life

Days 25-26, 2025 European Odyssey

Wednesday and Thursday, July 23-24, 2025; Faroe Islands and Shetland Islands.

For the past couple of years, I’ve flown the flag of each country we visit on my cabin door frame. It’s a fun ritual to change the flag when we head to a new destination, and it has been an interesting learning process. That learning started when I bought a package of 200 flags online only to discover they were not identified.

Even with that many flags, I occasionally come up lacking. I don’t have a Cayman Islands flag, so instead I fly the Union Jack, as it’s a British Overseas Territory (although disappointingly one that doesn’t seem to carry Maltesers, my favorite candy found in British Commonwealth countries around the world).

We’re sailing in a part of the world now where there are flag options, which is good because 200 flags aren’t enough. I actually have a Greenland flag, but not ones for the Faroe or Shetland Islands.

So Denmark’s flag went up as we approached Runavik in the Faroe Islands. These islands are between Iceland, Norway and the Shetland Islands of Scotland (our next port).

Instead of taking a tour to Tórsavn, the capital, I signed up for an excursion to the far-north hamlet of Gjogv, with its dramatic gorge that once provided a harbor for a small fishing fleet.

Today this remote village is becoming a destination for tourists, many of whom hike through the surrounding mountains. It’s not unusual to see sod roofs.

Our walk took us to the gorge and then through the hamlet, where we saw a small swimming hole. Too cold for me!

Our guide considers himself a native of the Faroe Islands, although he was born in Bergen, Norway. Like many Faroese, his parents went to university in Norway and then returned. He guides during the summers after teaching primary school during the year.

Today in the Shetland Islands (Scottish flag) we had a short tender ride into Lerwick, the main city of the archipelago, and the pier was right in the busy city center. But first, at 7 a.m. I had a face-to-face meeting with the United Kingdom Border Force. We U.S. citizens (and many others) now need a U.K. ETA (electronic travel authorization) to visit – easily obtainable online for a small fee.

Once again, my tour took me out of town, to the northernmost part of Scotland. It was a long bus ride through a hilly but not particularly mountainous region, with sheep grazing much of the way.

We passed a new wind turbine field with more than 100 towers. No blades were moving as it isn’t in operation yet. Once the undersea cable to the Scottish mainland is complete, it will send all its energy there. Oil and gas terminals serving the North Sea also contribute to the archipelago’s economy.

The heather covering the hillsides is just beginning to bloom. We passed a “pop-up” sheep-herding competition and saw a few Shetland ponies in the fields.

At our northernmost point, we reached the Eshaness Lighthouse (designed by uncles of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, about whom I have blogged before). More impressive to me were the rugged cliffs and soaring birds.

I guess it’s no surprise that wool, and thus yarn and knitting, are ubiquitous in Scotland. As I walked the six-block main shopping street in Lerwick after my tour, I found no fewer than three stores devoted to yarn. Fair warning for knitters and crocheters who cruise here: Bring your credit card!

Tomorrow is our last sea day of this 28-day cruise, and on Saturday we will arrive early in Dover, England, where about 600 passengers will disembark. While sailing in Northern Europe, the Nieuw Statendam has two embarkation ports. Most passengers embark in Rotterdam, but many find the English port of Dover more convenient. Tomorrow will be full of cruise-ending activities, including a crew talent show and two Holland America productions. City on the Sea gives a back-of-the-house tour of the ship, and Origins covers the 150-years-plus history of the passenger line.

Earlier this week, fellow passenger Carolyn organized a reunion of sorts for Holland America world cruisers. There were at least 30 of us, and the ship provided a location, along with complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. It’s always a pleasure to sail with others you know, and Legendary cruises like this one attract a lot of regulars.