The Faroe Islands.

To get from the Shetland Islands (UK) to Iceland, with a vehicle, you have to travel by the Smyril Line ferry that also calls at the Faroe Islands (Denmark). Because we only saw part of one town (Tórshavn) for two hours and because there had been a major public sector strike in the islands for four weeks it would be unfair to judge the islands from what we saw.

Sufficient to say there was more litter than I expected and the banks had all run out of Iceland Crowns.

This view (left) of Tórshavn was not taken from the air but from the seventh deck of our ferry as we entered port.

The new Smyril Line ferry was magnificent and as it docked in the Shetlands at midnight it was reminiscent of the arrival of the "mother ship" in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Because the ferry plies a circular route including Iceland, Faroe, Norway, Shetland and Denmark the vehicle loading arrangements have to be very clever so that everyone can drive on and off forwards without blocking anybody else (think about it).

The cost of the ferry from Shetland to Iceland (a thirty three hour trip) was £372 ($560USA) for Mog and two people with a cabin in low season.

Food and service on the ferry were excellent but expensive.