0:00:07 > 0:00:10There are hundreds of islands along Scotland's west coast,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14each one its own little world, connected to the neighbours
0:00:14 > 0:00:15by a great highway -
0:00:15 > 0:00:17the Atlantic Ocean.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22I'm travelling up the west coast, far into the North Atlantic,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25further than we've ever been before,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27beyond our shores to foreign islands
0:00:27 > 0:00:32in search of a way of life we've all but lost.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37My objective - the Faroe Islands, where for over 1,000 years
0:00:37 > 0:00:40the descendants of Viking settlers
0:00:40 > 0:00:43have struggled to survive and thrive.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44CHEERING
0:00:44 > 0:00:48I'll explore the forgotten bond between Britain and the Faroes,
0:00:48 > 0:00:53island people united by war and love.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Adrift in the vast Atlantic,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27the Faroe Islands.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32It takes at least 12 hours to get here by boat,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35so I've taken the express route to the Faroes - by plane.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39What a way to catch my first glimpse of these mystical islands.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Oh, yeah, look at that! That is Lord Of The Rings.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's Middle-earth.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56The Faroes are 18 separate islands with nearly 700 miles of coastline,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59home to fewer than 50,000 people
0:01:59 > 0:02:02who are never more than three miles from the sea.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The landscape's staggeringly beautiful -
0:02:09 > 0:02:13sheer cliffs, rugged mountains and stunning sea stacks.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15It's not surprising, then,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18that landing on these islands is pretty hair-raising.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27The gateway to the Faroe Islands is this tiny strip of tarmac
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and an airport many believe could never be built
0:02:30 > 0:02:32in such wild terrain.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38We're definitely in the Faroe Islands. I know that
0:02:38 > 0:02:41because I can't understand the name of the airport building.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46We may be a long way from home,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49but we've more connections with these islands than you'd think.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54This airport was built by the British Army.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00In 1940, the Germans invaded Denmark and Norway.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Britain feared the Germans were aiming to occupy the Faroes
0:03:03 > 0:03:08to use as a key U-boat base, so decided to get in there first.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11On April 11th, 1940,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Winston Churchill announced that the Danish territory of Faroe
0:03:14 > 0:03:16was under British control.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21He said, "We shall shield the Faroe Islands from all severities of war
0:03:21 > 0:03:25"and establish ourselves there conveniently by sea and air
0:03:25 > 0:03:29"until the moment comes when they will be handed back to Denmark,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33"liberated from the foul thralldom into which they've been plunged
0:03:33 > 0:03:34"by German aggression."
0:03:38 > 0:03:41An airport was essential for the British military,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45but building one in this mountainous terrain seemed impossible.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52After several failed surveys, British Army engineers found a spot
0:03:52 > 0:03:55flat enough for a runway - just.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02The airport is as much a lifeline now as in the Second World War,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05but that's not all the soldiers left behind.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08When the British troops arrived on Vagar,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11they found just a handful of vehicles and almost no roads.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14By the time they left, they'd built an entire road network
0:04:14 > 0:04:18and they left behind 300 vehicles like this one for the locals.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20That must have been just about one each!
0:04:20 > 0:04:22MARCHING BAND MUSIC
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Tally-ho!
0:04:28 > 0:04:33OK. In 1940, the Faroe Islands had 28,000 inhabitants
0:04:33 > 0:04:35but very limited resources.
0:04:35 > 0:04:408,000 British servicemen arriving were bound to make an impact.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Over there, on the flat ground of the modern village,
0:04:49 > 0:04:50that was the camp,
0:04:50 > 0:04:56so Nissen huts, canteens, barracks, all the paraphernalia of camp life.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59This is the site of a huge gun emplacement.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01These are the ammunition stores,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05so you get a sense from the size of these just how big the guns were.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10The men here were guarding something pretty important.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18This inauspicious building, barely touched for 60 years,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21could hold a clue as to what that importance was.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23It's a garage now,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26the usual petrol and diesel fumes and tools and things.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Up there, a couple of empty offices. Don't know what they're for,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35but locals hereabouts will tell you this was a sector headquarters
0:05:35 > 0:05:37for the Battle of the North Atlantic.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Look - there's Norway, there's Iceland
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and there's the vast black emptiness of the North Atlantic.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Although operations in the Atlantic were monitored from the Faroes,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54the troops stationed here didn't see much direct action.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01But the story of the British occupation isn't about buildings.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05There's something less tangible but much stronger.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07There was a meeting of minds,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12island people encountering and understanding other islanders,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and some very special relationships blossomed.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'At the site of the old officers' mess,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'I'm meeting local historian Mina Reinhardt
0:06:25 > 0:06:29'with Ragnhild Tomasson, who was only 19 when the troops arrived.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:34What was it like to suddenly have hundreds or thousands
0:06:34 > 0:06:38of British troops here, British men here?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41What did it do to the atmosphere of the island?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43WOMAN TRANSLATES
0:06:46 > 0:06:47SHE ANSWERS IN FAROESE
0:06:47 > 0:06:49It's wonderful, she says!
0:06:49 > 0:06:55What about special friendships with the troops?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Was there anyone who was special to you?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16WOMAN TRANSLATES
0:07:16 > 0:07:18- Ronnie.- Ronnie.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Ronnie.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25This is Ronnie, Ragnhild's fiance, he was at the time.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29They were together for one year, and she got a baby by him.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But he left before the baby was born.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34He went to France.
0:07:34 > 0:07:41He was an ambulance driver and he was killed in the...D-day.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Oh, dear.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The British and Faroese cemented their relationship
0:07:49 > 0:07:50in other ways too.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54The Faroese fishing fleet played a vital role in feeding the British
0:07:54 > 0:07:56during wartime shortages.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58In fact, a fifth of all the fish we ate
0:07:58 > 0:08:01was landed by the Faroese fishing fleet,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03often at great risk.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08In March 1942,
0:08:08 > 0:08:1221 Faroese fishermen from Vagar were killed by a German U-boat,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15leaving their children fatherless.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The children of the village, of course,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22they looked upon the British soldiers
0:08:22 > 0:08:24as kind of father figures.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28How strange for these young British men that had gone away to war
0:08:28 > 0:08:30to find themselves cast in the role of...
0:08:30 > 0:08:35- Of fathers. Yeah. - Of being fathers for these kids.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36They were very good to them.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40They always brought them chocolates and things and took care of them.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Many of the soldiers were from Scottish regiments,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50probably with some sympathy for the rigours of island life.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55Some whole-heartedly embraced the traditional struggle to survive,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and that included whaling.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Hunts like this, where boats herd whales into the shore,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07only died out in the Scottish islands about 100 years ago.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11On the Faroe Islands they still hunt whales today.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The community wants to preserve the tradition
0:09:17 > 0:09:19of harvesting the bounty of their seas
0:09:19 > 0:09:22despite the objections of the wider world.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Handling boats is a part of everyday life here,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38but there's one day a year
0:09:38 > 0:09:40when the Faroese really get to show their mettle -
0:09:40 > 0:09:44the national holiday, St Olaf's Day, July 29th.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48The rowing races are the highlight of the festival,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52with pride and prizes at stake, and the whole town turns out to watch.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Well, if they can peer through the sea mist.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00My name is Runa, and I'm captain for the girls' rowing team
0:10:00 > 0:10:03for Torshavn Rowing Club.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Skal!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10We always eat together before the race.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14If we lose or if we win, it's exciting no matter what.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19If we win this race and the championship, we got four trophies.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Yeah, we're going out after the race to party.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It's a boat for six rowers and it's a traditional Faroese boat
0:10:31 > 0:10:35and in the competition, it's the smallest.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39You also have boats for eight or ten persons.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44CHEERING
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Woo!
0:11:00 > 0:11:02The champions are triumphant again.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12They celebrate their win in a way that's familiar the world over,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16youngsters who practise their English watching satellite TV.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20The Faroes are remote, but not isolated.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But connections with the original Viking settlers are never far away.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37The seafarers who arrived here in 800AD
0:11:37 > 0:11:41struggled to make a home on these barren, unforgiving rocks.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Clinging to the coast for food and transport,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47slowly, settlements were established.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Something is striking about many of the houses here today.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Camouflaged under a layer of turf,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57these dwellings reveal their age-old origins.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04And this house has been lived in by the same family for 17 generations.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Parts of it date back to the end of the Viking era.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Joannes Patursson is the current resident.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The thing I notice right away about the outside
0:12:17 > 0:12:18is the grass roof.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Grass on top of the roofs, yeah, grass on top of the houses,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25which is a very common way of building houses in the Faroes.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28You have an abundance of grass all around
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and when you then put the grass on top,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35you have also a very quiet house, fairly well-insulated house,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40and also, the weight of the grass, you might say, holds the roof on top
0:12:40 > 0:12:41during winter storms.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Come inside.- OK. - Take a look in the kitchen.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- All right.- Yeah, come inside.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'They may have had an abundance of grass,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'but with no trees on the island, wood was in short supply.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55'The ancient timber in this house
0:12:55 > 0:12:59'had to come hundreds of miles across the sea from Norway.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:03The house itself arrived here in late year 1000, probably,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and came as a prefabricated house from Norway.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Really? So they were doing flat-pack housing...?
0:13:09 > 0:13:10They built it on location.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13They only had, probably, the sails to transport,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16so it was important that they didn't transport more than necessary,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but everything necessary in order to have a finished house
0:13:19 > 0:13:20once they arrived.
0:13:20 > 0:13:27Up through this door here takes us about 900 years back in time.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29No! No way!
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So this has been standing for 1,000 years?
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Close to it, yeah.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42How does it feel knowing that your family have been living here
0:13:42 > 0:13:46generation after generation since 1557?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- I don't often...- I mean, talk about a family home!
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Yeah, definitely, it's the family home,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and most of their lives have been lived in this room.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55I've always lived here,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59so it's not something you go around thinking about all the time,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01but it is, of course, it is special for us.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's a privilege. We feel it's a privilege.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13The privilege of being an island people.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19And for over 1,000 years, the Faroese have toiled hard
0:14:19 > 0:14:21just to cling onto this precarious land.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23The daily chore of getting enough to eat,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27the isolation yet kinship of a tiny group of islands
0:14:27 > 0:14:30so far from the rest of the world.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32This really is life on the edge.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:14:38 > 0:14:41E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk