The black-hulled cargo vessels of Smyril Line ply their trade in the far reaches of the North Atlantic. For these unflagging workhorses, skippered by experienced captains, having to endure heavy seas, treacherous storms is par for the course in this corner of the world.
Linking the Faroe Islands with Iceland and northern Europe, including the Baltic states, Smyril is a well-respected shipping company based in Tórshavn the tiny Faroese capital. Lying halfway between Scotland and Iceland, this remote and rugged archipelago comprises 18 islands. Off the main tourist trail, these wild, volcanic lumps of jagged rock are home to just over 53,000 people.
At the Smyril’s harbourside headquarters, managing director Halgir Dahl Oleson says: ‘Eimskip and Samskip aresailings which pass the Faroes. So we entered the market as a little brother, if you like, to grab a piece of the cake!’