Introduction to the island
How to get here
Accomodation
Activities
Pictures from the island
Pictures: Símun, one of the old farmers on the island, harvesting.
Introduction to the island
How to get here
Accomodation
Activities
Pictures from the island
General Information about Fugloy
Area in Km2: 11, Population in 1999: 41
The Island of Fugloy is the Easternmost island in the
Faroe.
On it the two villages - Kirkja and Hattarvík
- make up Fugloy municipality.
According to the legend, the island was settled in Viking times. In
the Hundabrævið written around
1350 the two villages are mentioned, and in the well-known legends
about pirates,
dated by historians around 1400, both villages are recorded by name.
In the past the Island has taken a prominent part among the islands
since in 1628 the farmer Jógvan Justinusson
from Hattarvík was elected Prime Minister and he remained in
this post untill 1654.
The first we know of the number of inhabitants is mentioned in 1737
when it is said that there were
19 families with 19 children living in Fugloy. This agrees with the
fact that there were 70 people
on this island.
Originally agriculture was the main source of income. The total area
of the island is 47 Marks of which 26.5
are arable. Sixteen Marks belong to the village of Kirkja, 27 to Hattarvík
and the rest to Skarðsvíkin
where land is owned by householders from the two villages.
In Hattarvík there are five farms, Útistova and Uppistova
in Uppi i Húsi, and Innistova,
Uttarstova and Suðurstova in Niðri i Húsi. At Kirkja
there are two farms, one called Mittúni an Suðuri í Túni.
The farms run a total of 796 sheep of which 518 are used for wool production.
Apart from the sheep, good inshore fishing and bird harvesting supplement
the family incomes.
When commercial fishing started at the turn of the century, many men
from Fugloy went to sea.
When fishing techniques changed in 1960, even more people left the
island.
Today we can say that agriculture is a supplement to other sources of
income: in each village there are two
or three men working on municipal or government road and developmental
projects. There is one teaching
post on the island and a post office in each village. There is also
a ferry and a helicopter service and in one
village an engineer is employed to maintain the electricity supply.
There is a church in both villages. Orignally as the name suggests,
the church was in Kirkju but in 1833
it was moved to Hattarvík where a new church was built in 1899.
In 1933 a new church was built in Kirkju.
The school was built in Kirkju in 1888; the largest school roll recorded
was 50 pupil. In the school year
1998/99, there are only two students in the school. In Hattarvík
there was a school built in 1925; the largest
school roll recorded was about 30 pupils. This school has been closed
for a few years.
Visitors who come to Fugloy find a peacful place which contrasts
greatly with the stress and
traffic ofmodern life. The island has great natural beauty with
a rich bird population.
There are two interesting walksfrom Hattarvík, one up to
Eystfelli (450m) and the other into
Skarðsvík. Each excursion takes about fourhours on foot.
From Kirkju there are also two interesting walks, one up to Vatnsdal
which takes about one hour
there and back, and the other south to Skoragjóv which can
be walked in about half an hour
there and back. From either villageit is possible to walk up to
Klubban (620m),
the highest point on the island.
Bus & Boat / Helicopter
There are two ways of getting out to the island from Tórshavn.
Either by bus and boat, or by helicopter.
Bus & Boat:
The trip takes about four hours and involves two bus rides and two
boat trips.
All of them corresponding. The journey let's you experience the variations
of the
spectacular Faroese nature. This is the cheapest way of getting out
to the island,
and the choice if you want to arrive by sea. In order to get all the
way out to
the island in one day, you must catch the bus leaving the bus terminal
at 06.30 am.
Price: aprox. 170,- DKR.
Check out this site for timeschedules for the boat
Helicopter
The helicopter is the quickest and most confortable way to travel,
and takes you from Tórshavn to Hattarvík in 45min. The
only drawback is that
the copter only flies three times a week. Wednesday, Friday & Sunday.
(Mid-day.)
Choose this if you're up for a bird's eye view!
Price: aprox. 215,- DKR.
Check out this site for timeschedules for the helicopter
Important to notice!
Remember you're in the Faroe Islands now, and weatherconditions change
a lot.
You might not be able to travel exactly the day you want, due to strong
wind or big seas.
Be patient and enjoy!
There are several possibilities for accomadation on the
island.
In both Kirkju and Hattarvík there are houses
to rent. Especially during the summer.
In Hattarvík there are three interesting houses
for travelers:
Katrin's Bed & Breakfast
Kjeldhúsið
Úti í Húsinum hjá Dia
Katrin's B&B
Katrin Fuglø has four single rooms. Communal access to toilet,
shower and cooking facilities.
There is also access to telephone, television and washingmachine.
Prices:
Summer/High Season (June, July & August):
The price for a room is DKR 165,- pr.person inc. breakfast.
Winter(January, February, March, April & Mai):
The price for a room is DKR 125,- pr.person inc. breakfast.
The price for a room without breakfast is DKR 100,-
Booking: +298 / 45.11.54
Kjeldhúsið
Situated next to a small river, this house is mainly for rent in the
summerperiod.
There are five beds, toilet, shower and kitchen.
Price:
Call to get corect price.
Contact Person: Hjørleif Waag Høgnesen,
Tel: +298 / 45.50.75
Úti í Húsinum hjá Dia
This old house kept in old traditional Faroese style, this house has
five beds, toilet and kitchen.
Shower in the cellar.
Price:
DKR 150,- pr.person a night.
Contact Person: Marna Hansen, Tel: +298 / 31.45.41
Hiking / Fishing / Boat Trips / Guided Tours / Bird Watching /
More Information to come...