Nolsoy

Nólsoy lies twenty minutes by ferry from Tórshavn, a long low island with a village at the neck and a lighthouse at the far end. It holds what is generally described as one of the largest European storm petrel colonies in the world, several hundred thousand pairs nesting in burrows and stone walls; the birds only come ashore in darkness, so seeing them means a guided night walk in summer. The village also keeps a whale-bone arch and a museum to Ove Joensen.

What you'll find

• The storm petrel colony - one of the largest in the world, visited on night walks.
• The lighthouse walk - the route the length of the island to the southern point.
• The whale-bone arch - the jawbone arch at the village entrance.
• The Ove Joensen memorial - to the man who rowed alone to Copenhagen in 1986.

When to go

June to August is the petrel season and the only time the night walks run. The ferry runs year round. Night walks need booking and settled weather.

Practical notes

The petrels come ashore only in full darkness, which in high summer means very late; the walk is long and often wet. Walks are cancelled in poor weather. The island walk to the lighthouse is exposed and takes most of a day.

Nearby

Torshavn is across the sound, and Hestur is southwest.

Key facts