1. Irish hermit monks, are now thought to be the earliest settlers of the Faroe Islands. They arrived in the sixth century, bringing with them sheep as well as early Irish language. The Vikings landed by 900AD. 2. The Faroe Islands, formed by volcanic activity 30 million years ago, are now a cultural melting pot with 77 nationalities among its population of only 48,000. 3. The Faroe Islands are one of very few countries in Europe to have no McDonalds outlets. Y...

When I start a longer trek there's usually a little trepidation and pinging of nerves as I wonder what I've gotten myself into this time. This trek is to the wilds of the Faroe Islands. A lot of folks haven't heard about this remote set of islands, so the map to the right may help you visualize the location. In the North Sea roughly midway between the land if Ice and Norway. The Faroe Islands have a somewhat tough, sad and long history. Many countries in that pa...