Win a weekend break

Our first prize is a weekend in Iceland, including a tour of the island's natural wonders. Second prize is a break in Shetland - and a night at Britain's most northerly country house hotel

Though you might be living in a land of the midday gloom, the northern lights are only 25 answers and a few months away. The questions and the prizes this year in the Independent's Christmas travel competition celebrate the North.

First prize is an escorted weekend break for two in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, courtesy of Arctic Experience. The winners will fly on Icelandair from Heathrow or Glasgow to Keflavik airport, from where they will be transferred to the comfortable and central Hotel Leifur Eriksson in Reykjavik for a three-night stay. The prize includes a half-day city tour and a "Golden Circle" day trip of the island's natural wonders, and normally costs around pounds 450 per person. To find out more about the Arctic Experience programme of holidays to Iceland, Greenland and other northerly destinations, call 01737 218801.

The winner of the second prize will take a partner on a trip to Shetland. You travel by air from Aberdeen, Belfast, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Manchester courtesy of Business Air's scheduled services. A hire car and dinner, bed and breakfast at the UK's most northerly country house hotel, Busta House, will be arranged through Shetland Islands Tourism. For more information and bookings on Business Air's growing network of flights around the UK, call 01224 401949. For further details on Shetland holidays contact Shetland Islands Tourism on 01595 693434. And for details about Busta House Hotel call 01806 522506.

Third prize is the year's most esoteric travel guide, the fascinating Siberian BAM Railway Guide. Published by Trailblazer at pounds 12.95, it is an encyclopaedic companion to the century's greatest rail project, the Baikal-Amur railway across northern Siberia.

To enter, write your answers on a piece of paper, together with your name, address and daytime telephone number and send it to Free Freeze, The Independent, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DL. All entries must be received by 9 January 1995. Winners will be selected randomly from the entries containing the highest number of correct answers. Departure to Reykjavik must be on one of the following dates: 15 March, 5 or 25 April (Heathrow only in April), 25 October, 22 November or 6 December 1996, and is subject to availability. Departure to Shetland should be before 31 December 1996. Dates of flights are subject to availability and should be arranged directly with Business Air .

The answers and names of winners will appear in the Independent on 13 January 1995. Normal Independent Newspaper rules apply. Names and addresses of entrants will be used by Arctic Experience and Business Air solely for the companies' own direct-mail purposes. Please add "do not list" to your address if you prefer not to be contacted; this will not affect your chances of winning the competition.

FOR STARTERS

1 From which island does the singer Bjork hail?

2 "When I called you last night from _.". In which Scottish city were Abba for "Supertrouper"?

3 In the song "Cap in Hand", which Canadian province can The Proclaimers say without starting to stutter?

4 What geographical feature was celebrated in the 1977 Christmas No. 1?

5 This year saw a solar eclipse across Asia. But where, according to Carly Simon, did you fly "your Lear jet over - - to see a total eclipse of the sun"?

SCOTLAND

6 Is the most popular tourist attraction in Scotland?: (a) the Glenfiddich distillery; (b) New Lanark; (c) Edinburgh Castle

7 Which is NOT in Scotland?: (a) Berwick; (b) North Berwick; (c) South Uist

8 Odd one out: (a) Cromarty; (b) Forth; (c) Malin; (d) Clyde.

9 Which of the following is the most northerly point in Scotland?: (a) Muckle Flugga ; (b) Duncansby Head; (c) John O'Groats.

THE NORDIC COUNTRIES

10 Which city has the busiest airport?: (a) Copenhagen; (b) Reykjavik; (c) Oslo

11 In which country was much of Dr Zhivago filmed? (a) Finland; (b) Greenland; (c) Iceland

12 What is Europe's Capital of Culture for 1996?

13 By which other name is Svalbard known?

14 Which national team currently holds the European soccer championship?

NORTH AMERICA

15 Canadian city where Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards jumped to fame.

16 Which is the largest island in North America?

17 The highest mountain in North America (both names required)?

18 Alaskan town that lent its name to an ill-fated tanker?

19 Which is furthest west?: (a) North Dakota; (b) North Carolina; (c) North West Territories

20 Which is NOT an airport in Alaska? (a) Terror Bay; (b) King Salmon; (c) Ice Station

21 What is the biggest island in the Northern Hemisphere?

22 Which is furthest east? (a) North Ruislip; (b) West Ruislip; (c) South Ruislip

23 Which is closest to the North Pole? (a) North Riding; (b) West Riding (c) East Riding

24 Which is nearest the South Pole? (a) Yemen; (b) South Yemen; (c) Yap (Micronesia)

25 Which is closest to South Ronaldsay, Orkney? (a) Southwold; (b) Southend; (c) Southampton