The Faroe islanders’ bade a cliff-top farewell to 007 as their Prime Minister unveiled James Bond’s gravestone, high on the cliffs of Kalsoy Island in the Faroes
Perhaps it was my post of yesterday or perhaps it was, after all, a Time to Die.
In a bid to cash in on the potential tourist dollar and to commemorate the latest James Bond movie, ‘No Time to Die’, and its heart-stopping ending, the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands has unveiled a gravestone for Ian Fleming’s revered Secret Service agent.
The sparse, rugged landscape of The Faroe Islands could possibly be one of the most remote Bond locations yet, and it was here that James Bond may have met his final moment.
Filmed on Kalsoy – one of the archipelago’s 18 islands, in the wild North Atlantic – there is little there besides the dramatic scenery, stretching across 18km, with just four villages and around 150 inhabitants.
Due to its twisting roads and deep valleys, the gravestone had to be transported on to the island via helicopter; it has been erected next to the stunningly-positioned Kallur Lighthouse.
The idea for the gravestone came from Johannus Kallsgard, a 27-year-old local sheep farmer based in the tiny village of Trollanes, near the island’s northern tip.
Described by the production company in the movie credits as ‘The King of Kalsoy’, Johannus was in fact the location co-ordinator, and integral in finding the filming location, guiding those who wanted to climb to the lighthouse, co-ordinating the movement of equipment, and so on.
The gravestone was created by a Faroese company located on the island of Sandoy.
A James Bond Sightseeing Tour costing around £320 pp, including a tour of the film locations with a guide is now on offer. The price includes ferry crossings, hiking and a boat trip but does not include getting to the Faroes in the first place.
If you want to do that then you will need to catch one of the daily flights to the Faroe Islands from either Edinburgh or Copenhagen. They operate year-round and cost from £200 pp return.
The Faroe Islands offer a good selection of hotels, guesthouses, cottages, self-catering apartments and campsites.