page_title: Smyril Line
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Smyril Line / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Norröna is the Faroes' largest ferry. It sails between Hirtshals, Denmark to Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands and Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.
context_page_description: Smyril Line is a Faroese shipping company, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; previously, it also served Norway and the United Kingdom. Smyril is the Faroese word for the merlin.
context_section_description: Since 1983, the company has operated a regular international passenger, car and freight service using a multi-purpose ferry, MS Norröna. The original vessel was a Swedish-built ferry formerly named Gustav Vasa (built in 1973). This was replaced by the Norröna, built in Lübeck, Germany in 2003. The purchase price of €100 million caused the company financial difficulties, and Smyril line eventually had to receive public support from the Faroese Government to stay afloat. 
  Today the holding company is owned by Framtaksgrunnur Føroya (Faroese Development Trust) 33.6%, the Faroese Government 23.6%, TF Holding 20.7% and the Shetland Development Trust 6.8%, the remaining shares are owned by several minor stakeholders.
caption: MS Norröna, March 2013
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