Detour #358: The End of the Road for 007, Faroe Islands
Photo Nick Dimbleby
The drive to where James Bond met his demise is dramatic in its own right.
“I’m not going to make it.” They’re the words that no 007 fan ever thought they’d hear, but in the closing moments of No Time To Die, Bond is left with no option but to sacrifice himself for his family.
Seconds later a barrage of missiles lands on the mountain top where Daniel Craig’s Bond is standing. Now I’m standing here too, rewatching that scene on my phone thanks to the impressive 5G coverage here in the Faroe Islands.
007’s demise is marked by a headstone that reads: “In memory of James Bond 1962-2021. The proper function of man is to live not to exist.”
Getting to this spot on the island of Kalsoy, where the emotional final seconds were filmed is a little like being in Bond movie, with a sequence that involves a drive through dramatic landscapes, a ferry crossing and a scramble up steep slopes and narrow ridges with death-defying drops.
Like our other Detours in the Faroe Islands it starts in Torshavn, the capital city from which almost all of the islands are accessible within a couple of hours drive. It’s straight into the epic Eysturoy Tunnel, taking the Runavik exit at the undersea roundabout and then following Skàlafjoður north on Route 10, passing busy fisheries and scattered settlements.
A second tunnel leads under the fjord to Borðoy island and the harbour of Klaskvik. Just over 5,000 people live here, making it the second biggest town on the Faroe Islands, but with no time to… dawdle I’m straight into the queue for the first ferry of the day. It’s best to book in advance as there’s room for less than 20 vehicles and locals always get priority.
I roll onto the boat in ‘my’ Morgan Supersport 400 – a car which would make a fine Bond mobile if he ever switched allegiance from Aston Martin – and settle in for the 20 minute crossing.
Reaching land again on Kalsoy there’s no need to consult a map or GPS, there’s just one road, running up the east coast. The island is home to less than 100 people, and unsurprisingly the road isn’t quite as well maintained as the rest of the Faroes. It’s narrow and broken with the steep spine of the island to my left and the narrow fjord that separates it from Kunoy to my right.
The first of a pair of dark and dingy tunnels disappears into the mountains, wide enough for one vehicle only, but with wisely positioned passing spots. At Mikladalur there’s a monument to a Faroese legend more horrifying than any Bond villain. On the craggy rocks below the village is a bronze sculpture of The Seal Woman. The story goes that those who died at sea would come back as seals, but return to land at once a year and shed their seal skins to become human again. A local farmer kidnapped one and made him his wife, locking her seal skin away in a chest. For years she lived a miserable life on land before finally escaping. The farmer and his friends took revenge on the local seals, killing her mate and pups. The Seal Woman then cursed the farmer, the villagers and all their descendants. Grim stuff.
To reach Trøllanes and the end of 007’s adventures requires passing through another narrow tunnel and tackling a couple of car chase-ready switchbacks to find the parking area.
It was here that the 60-strong film crew of No Time to Die based themselves on sheep farmer Jóhannus Kallsgarð’s land. Enterprisingly his son had the idea to mark the exact location of 007’s death with a carved headstone, and now the family charges 200 Kroner (around £23) to hike up the hill to see it and the impressive Kallur Lighthouse perched precariously on the cliff top.
It’s a 45-minute walk that’s mostly on a gravel path, but gets steeper and boggier towards the top. Here I traverse a spine-tingling ridge to look out over the islands and the open Atlantic Ocean, before paying my respects to the world’s greatest secret agent. And now I appear to have something in my eye…sniff.
For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en
Words Nik Berg Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby Instagram
ROADBOOK
CLASS: SPY DRIVE
NAME: The End of the ROad for 007
ROUTE: Torshavn to Trøllanes
COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS
Distance: 35 Miles
The drive to where James Bond met his demise is dramatic in its own right.