In the stormy North Atlantic, remote between Iceland, Norway and Scotland, the Faroe Islands are a knockout. Judged by National Geographic “the world’s most appealing islands” … I’d say that’s hard to argue. And we only just touched the surface!

Except for one short break, it was a bleak showery day. One can only imagine the views in bright sunshine.

First to historic Kirkjoubour.

We found the oldest inhabited wooden house in the world … 17 generations of the same family!!

No … she’s not a resident!

Next door the ruins of St Magnus cathedral dating from the 13th century (under major preservation work, so no good photo)

We drove along valleys like this all day …

And I doubt anyone could possibly count the waterfalls … running well on a wet day …

Up one remote wide valley, single track road in the mist and rain …

To Saksun … a village of about 10 houses …

… and a church …

Then north to Eidi for a sandwich and banana …

Time to explore the wild north coast …

Spot the tour bus over there!

We found the gorgeous village of Gjogv … (pronounce that if you can!) … you could spend a whole day just here …

At the bottom of this farming valley …

… and here, one of the best examples we saw of the traditional Faroe house …

Drive on …

More waterfalls …

Past the villages of Funningur …

… Kvivik(!) …

… and Leynar, which even has a sandy beach …

Then back through one of more than a dozen impressive road tunnels (some very long) to Torshavn …

A busy little place of about 20,000 … (we checked the view at the town’s lookout with these two locals!)

The old Torshavn still has numbers of traditional houses and narrow lanes near the busy harbour …

This one hanging out the fish to dry …

… and impressive small public buildings …

Back to the ship (docked at a remote fish factory!) and off we go … past waterfront towns …

… and away from the setting sun …