Faroe Islands residents head to Tyneside for Christmas shopping

Faroe Islands residents head to Tyneside for Christmas shopping Tyneside is preparing for a friendly invasion next week as residents of the remote Faroe Islands head south for a shopping spree.

The Port of Tyne is pleased to announce the expected arrival of the Norrona 1st December. Arriving from the Faroe Islands the Norrona will be carrying around 1,000 passengers planning on Christmas shopping in Newcastle City Centre and the Metro Centre. Norrona is the Faroe’s largest ferry and is operated by Smyril Line. The ship sails between Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, Hanstholm or Esbjerg in Demnark and Seyoisfjorour in Iceland.

The Faroes are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. They form part of Denmark but their closest neighbours are the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland (Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides). The language spoken is Faroese, descended from the Old Norse language spoken in Scandinavia in the Viking Age.

This is the first time the Port of Tyne has received a ferry from the Faroes as well as a first call from Smyril Line. Since the loss of the Norwegian route in 2008 the Port has been working to resurrect interest in a RoPax service, carrying both foot passengers and vehicular transport between the Tyne and ports in Norway, Sweden, Demark and Iceland.

Steven Harrison, Chief Operating Officer for the Port of Tyne said "The Port has been working to attract new ferry operators to the Tyne in addition to its existing DFDS connections since 2008. The first call from Smyril Line goes some way to achieving that, and is significant in recognising the excellent passenger facilities available at the Port in addition to fantastic visitor attractions in the North East. In the coming months we will be marketing these attractions to other ferry operators in an effort to secure more regular services from the Port of Tyne".

NewcastleGateshead Initiative have designed a special ‘What’s on Guide’ for passengers to help them make the most of what the city has to offer, including places to eat, what not to miss, and handy visitor information.

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive for NewcastleGateshead Initiative adds "The Port of Tyne is gateway to thousands of international visitors to the region every year; along with the Port we work hard to ensure that the welcome visitors receive is second to none, providing easily accessible information on NewcastleGateshead and the surrounding area so they have a truly great visitor experience. It’s fantastic to see the Port welcoming the Faroese and we hope by providing bespoke visitor information they’ll be encouraged to come back to the region in the future."

Peter Holm, for Smyril Line says "What first attracted Smyril Line to the Port of Tyne were the great port facilities, the attractive shopping possibilities and of course the City of Newcastle. Smyril Line will bring around 1,000 guests to Newcastle and we are very excited to be visiting the city".

The Port of Tyne is planning on giving passengers a festive welcome serving mulled wine and mince pies, as passengers arrive and after they return having shopped till they drop or until they discover hidden joys of visiting the North East.

The Norröna will berth at RoRo3 North Shields and stay overnight departing at 1500 on Wednesday 2nd December.