THE PEOPLE OF THE FAROE ISLANDS

Think about the best holidays you’ve had. In many cases, the best parts of trips are the moments spent with locals, hearing their stories and seeing how they live. Those are often the moments that truly allow you to experience a culture and country.

But getting to know the locals is sometimes easier said than done. Because of their quiet and shy demeanour, the people of the Faroe Islands can at times be perceived as cold and standoffish. Rest assured that this is far from reality.

Once you get past that initial stage of shyness and reserve, Faroe Islanders are very warm, generous, friendly and hospitable people. Faroe Islanders are family-orientated, down to earth and have a high regard for tradition. They also tend to be reluctant to express emotion in normal discourse – apart from when they’re talking about the weather! 

What amazed me most about life on the Faroe Islands was the hospitality… Even in the smallest villages, coffee shops would welcome you outside their usual opening hours to provide a warming hot chocolate. There was always a smile and helpful chit chat from any bus driver, shopkeeper or local I encountered on the trails.

- Daniel James Clarke, American Express Essentials

Faroe Islanders are well-educated and love nature. They tend not to brag and are not particularly outspoken either, but love to tell stories. If there was a suitable antonym for “superficial”, that’s what they would be. In other words, when they invite you for dinner, they mean it and don’t plan to brush you off. Faroe Islanders are particularly easy-going when it comes to timekeeping, which might result from their way of approaching most matters in life: “If not today, then tomorrow.” Oh, and let’s not forget their unconditional love of a good sunny holiday!

Faroe Islanders are proud of their country and culture and are eager to show visitors the best of what the Faroe Islands have to offer. So don’t hesitate to make contact with Faroe Islanders – you never know, it might end up as the best part of your trip.

FACTS ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF FAROE ISLANDS (2024): 

  • The population of the Faroe Islands totals 54.557 people, the highest in history, with nearly half living in the capital, Tórshavn.
  • With a fertility rate of 2.3, the Faroe Islands has a higher fertility rate than any other European country.
  • Life expectancy for men is 80.4 years and 83.3 years for women.

MEET THE PEOPLE OF THE FAROE ISLANDS

Teaming up with Visit Faroe Islands, we bring you an exquisite and unfiltered collection of Faroese stories captured by the talented duo Amy Robinson & Ragib Choudhury. Immerse yourself in these beautifully crafted films to discover more about the captivating eight stories detailed below.

‘People of the Faroe Islands’ is finally out after over two years work….this has been a huge passion project with hundreds of hours of work going into the planning, research, filming, editing and writing post production.

- Amy Robinson