Experiences

Hiking on the Faroe Islands

Culture and wildlife
In the outskirts of the Faroe Islands you can see how our ancestors lived and survived. Stone houses, boat houses, old agricultural land (teigalendi), peat fields and stone hidings for peat (kráir) tells us, how close to nature they lived. There are old stone walls that marked the land, ruins of houses (geilar), sheep folds, sheep houses and fransatoftir, which are small houses where people hid when pirates were in the area.

In the outskirts you will always find a rich variety of birds, as well as free range sheeps, gees, an abundant of plants and perhaps even a few hares.

Roads between the villages
The trips described in this leaflet are all guides by stone cairns (varðar), and was the ancient road between the villages. Before the roads were built, people travelled by foot, or on horseback to other villages to trade, to visit the closest church for services, for baptizes, weddings – or for your last trip in a coffin. The path is guided by cairns, to make sure the travllers don’t get lost.

Bøsdalafossur isn’t guided by stone cairns, but through designated paths.

The length and duration of each trip is calculated, by normal walking speed one way.

Take care of the nature
Nature is sensitive, which is why it is very important to treat it well and protect it for future generations.

• Follow the cairns or other marks and do not go off the paths out into the meadow or outfield
• Close the outfield gates behind you.
• Treat the cairns, fences and walls well.
• Do not disturb the sheep, birds and plants.
• It is prohibited to pick plants or to take stones, eggs, or chicks.
• It is customary to pick up loose wool that the sheep have shed.
• Do not leave your rubbish behind.
• Beware of loose stones, especially when there are several of you together.
• Beware of not walking out into marsh land, as it can be deep.
• Dogs must not be taken out into the outfields.
• Tents may not be put up in the outfield without permission from the land owners.
• It is prohibited to travel by bicycle or motor vehicle in the outfields or along the cairn paths.

Weather dependent

• Listen to the weather forecast to hear if conditions are favourable for walking.
• Do not walk in case of fog.
• If fog arrives whilst on a walk, it is advisable to keep to the cairns. If it is so dense that you cannot see between the cairns, it is best to wait by a cairn and keep yourself warm.
• Turn back if all is not well. There is no shame in not finishing the walk.
• Dress yourself well, preferably with several layers of clothing – “layer on layer”. The weather can quickly change.