Give up those balmy holidays and head north, where the land is wild and ruled by the elements.  Go to a collection of islands where people are outnumbered by sheep and the weather changes the world around you in an instant. Where 15C is hot and sunshine is a novelty. Where the edges are sheer and clouds shroud the lands in brooding monotones. You will be at the mercy of these islands, no matter who you are, and you will fall under their spell. Welcome to the Faroe Islands.

The week I spent in the Faroe Islands was a trip of extremes, in every sense of the word. Almost every day my plans were thwarted by the weather and sometimes also the physical challenges that confronted me. There were times when I despised where I was and what I had chosen to do; times when I was so close to achieving what I had set out to accomplish, perhaps find a landmark, only to have the rug pulled from under my feet at the last minute and face some truly scary situations. But always surrounded by incredible beauty with the promise of something even better ahead, I had no option but to pursue these sometimes impossible dreams. And sometimes the rewards were out of this world.