Hitra and Froya

Hitra and Froya sit at the mouth of the Trondheimsleia and are connected to the mainland and to each other by undersea road tunnels, which makes them unusually easy to reach for islands this far out. They are very different. Hitra is large, wooded and hilly, with the densest red deer population in Norway and a strong hunting and outdoor tradition; the coastal cod and the deer both feature heavily on local menus. Froya is lower, barer and more exposed, a landscape of rock, heather and small harbours, with a scattered archipelago of thousands of islets beyond it including the old fishing communities of Mausund and Sula. Both islands are centres of Norway's salmon farming industry, visible in the pens along the coast.

What you actually see

• The red deer - Norway's densest population, on Hitra's wooded ground.
• The outer archipelago - Mausund, Sula and thousands of islets off Froya.
• The undersea tunnels - road tunnels running below the sea to reach the islands.
• The aquaculture pens - salmon farms along the sheltered coasts.

When to go

May to September for boating, fishing and the outer island ferries; the sea eagle population is visible year-round. Autumn is the deer hunting season on Hitra, when accommodation fills. Winter storms cut some boat services.

Honest expectations

The islands are large and spread out, so a car is essential and distances take longer than the map suggests. The outer archipelago requires small ferries running limited schedules. Weather is exposed, wet and windy for much of the year.

Nearby

Trondheim is about two hours by road; the Kristiansund ferry links to the Nordmore coast.