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Vestmannaeyjar

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(Redirected from Vestmann Islands)

Vestmannaeyjar
Town and municipality
View of Vestmannaeyjabær
View of Vestmannaeyjabær
Location of the Municipality of Vestmannaeyjar
Location of the Municipality of Vestmannaeyjar
Vestmannaeyjar is located in Iceland
Vestmannaeyjar
Vestmannaeyjar
Location of Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland
Coordinates: 63°25′00″N 20°17′00″W / 63.41667°N 20.28333°W / 63.41667; -20.28333
CountryIceland
ConstituencySouth Constituency
RegionSouthern Region
CountyVestmannaeyjar[nb 1]
Government
 • MayorÍris Róbertsdóttir [is] (2022–present)
Area
 • Total
17 km2 (6.6 sq mi)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
4,639
 • Density250.82/km2 (649.6/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
Post code
IS-900, 902
Websitewww.vestmannaeyjar.is/en

Vestmannaeyjar (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvɛstˌmanːaˌeiːjar̥] ⓘ, sometimes anglicised as Westman Islands) is a municipality and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland.[1]

The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4,537,[2] most of whom live in the archipelago's main town, Vestmannaeyjabær. The other islands are uninhabited, although six have single hunting cabins.[citation needed] Vestmannaeyjar came to international attention in 1973 with the eruption of the Eldfell volcano, which destroyed many buildings and forced a month-long evacuation of the entire population to mainland Iceland. Approximately one-fifth of the town was destroyed before the lava flow was halted by the application of 6.8 billion litres (1.8 billion US gallons) of cold seawater.[3]

Geography

[edit]
Elliðaey island
Suðurey, Hellisey, Súlnasker and Geldungur islands
Smáeyjar islands

The Vestmannaeyjar archipelago is young in geological terms. The islands lie in the South Iceland volcanic zone (SIVZ) and have been formed by eruptions over the past 10,000–12,000 years. The volcanic system consists of 70–80 volcanoes, both above and below the sea.[4]

Vestmannaeyjar comprises the following islands:

Total area: 16.3 square kilometres (6.3 square miles)

There are 18 islands and about 30 rock stacks and skerries. All the islands have been built up in submarine eruptions and consist of alternating layers of palagonite tuff and lava. The oldest geological formations are in the northern part of Heimaey ("Home Island"), the largest island and the only inhabited one. Basalt columns can be seen in places, and the sea has eroded the soft rock of the shoreline and scooped out coves and grottos, which are among the features of the islands.[citation needed]

There was a submarine eruption southeast of Hellisey in 1896. The next eruption began on 14 November 1963. It lasted about four years – one of the longest in Icelandic history – and gave birth to Surtsey, the 15th island in the group. In the eruption of 1973 that lasted for 155 days, Heimaey grew by about 2.1 square kilometres (0.81 square miles). The Vestmannaeyjar group is about 38 kilometres (24 miles) long and 29 kilometres (18 miles) broad, the closest point lying about 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the mainland.[5]

Biodiversity

[edit]
Puffin with capelin

There is a microclimate with generally little snow, but considerable rain.[6] Owing to this, returning migratory birds are often first seen in the spring, and they set out from the islands in the autumn. All of Iceland's seabirds can be found in Vestmannaeyjar: the guillemot, gannet, kittiwake, Iceland gull, and puffin. The puffin is the most plentiful species and is the Vestmannaeyjar emblem. More than 30 species of birds nest in their millions in the cliffs and grassy ledges, and other species make irregular appearances.[7]

There are about 150 plant species in the flora of the islands, and about 80 types of insects have been identified.[citation needed]

The waters around the Vestmannaeyjar contain some of the North Atlantic's fishing grounds. The two main commercially exploited species in Iceland, cod and haddock, are found in Vestmannaeyjar. Other species, such as flat-fish, herring and capelin, are also harvested as they migrate through the area in the autumn and winter. Lobsters and ocean perch are found in the deep water to the southeast of the islands. Seals, small types of whales and other marine species are also present around the islands.[citation needed]

The townspeople have a tradition of guiding stray puffins to safe locations.[8]

Climate

[edit]
Gulf Stream route around Iceland

With extremely high precipitation considering the latitude, Vestmannaeyjar features a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) under the Köppen climate classification. It is often very windy in the islands, and the highest wind speed measured in Iceland, measuring at 61 metres per second (140 mph; 220 km/h), which was recorded in Stórhöfði, the southernmost of the island's two major peninsulas. The main wind directions are easterly and south-easterly.[citation needed]

Climate data for Vestmannaeyjar
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.9
(40.8)		 4.9
(40.8)		 5.2
(41.4)		 7.0
(44.6)		 9.0
(48.2)		 11.5
(52.7)		 13.2
(55.8)		 13.2
(55.8)		 11.1
(52.0)		 8.0
(46.4)		 5.9
(42.6)		 4.9
(40.8)		 8.2
(46.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)		 1.6
(34.9)		 1.9
(35.4)		 3.6
(38.5)		 5.8
(42.4)		 8.8
(47.8)		 10.5
(50.9)		 10.4
(50.7)		 8.3
(46.9)		 5.2
(41.4)		 3.0
(37.4)		 1.9
(35.4)		 5.2
(41.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 200.0
(7.87)		 191.0
(7.52)		 183.0
(7.20)		 183.0
(7.20)		 115.0
(4.53)		 93.0
(3.66)		 113.0
(4.45)		 140.0
(5.51)		 196.0
(7.72)		 184.0
(7.24)		 186.0
(7.32)		 207.0
(8.15)		 1,991
(78.37)
Source: https://en.climate-data.org/europe/iceland/vestmannaeyjar/vestmannaeyjar-45471/
Climate data for Vestmannaeyjar, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1949–2013
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)		 10.0
(50.0)		 9.0
(48.2)		 11.6
(52.9)		 16.5
(61.7)		 19.3
(66.7)		 21.6
(70.9)		 20.3
(68.5)		 15.4
(59.7)		 13.4
(56.1)		 10.5
(50.9)		 10.0
(50.0)		 21.6
(70.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8)		 3.8
(38.8)		 3.9
(39.0)		 5.6
(42.1)		 8.4
(47.1)		 10.5
(50.9)		 12.3
(54.1)		 12.1
(53.8)		 9.8
(49.6)		 6.8
(44.2)		 5.0
(41.0)		 4.1
(39.4)		 7.2
(45.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.8
(35.2)		 1.7
(35.1)		 1.8
(35.2)		 3.5
(38.3)		 6.1
(43.0)		 8.4
(47.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 10.2
(50.4)		 8.0
(46.4)		 5.1
(41.2)		 3.2
(37.8)		 2.1
(35.8)		 5.2
(41.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.3
(31.5)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 −0.2
(31.6)		 1.7
(35.1)		 4.4
(39.9)		 6.9
(44.4)		 8.6
(47.5)		 8.7
(47.7)		 6.5
(43.7)		 3.5
(38.3)		 1.3
(34.3)		 0.2
(32.4)		 3.4
(38.1)
Record low °C (°F) −15.7
(3.7)		 −16.3
(2.7)		 −14.9
(5.2)		 −16.9
(1.6)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −1.4
(29.5)		 3.7
(38.7)		 2.6
(36.7)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 −7.5
(18.5)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 −15.3
(4.5)		 −16.9
(1.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 159.4
(6.28)		 141.9
(5.59)		 137.1
(5.40)		 112.6
(4.43)		 94.1
(3.70)		 83.6
(3.29)		 103.4
(4.07)		 137.9
(5.43)		 153.6
(6.05)		 154.8
(6.09)		 153.7
(6.05)		 165.7
(6.52)		 1,597.9
(62.91)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 19.3 18.1 17.6 15.3 13.5 11.5 13.4 15.3 17.1 16.7 16.5 18.5 192.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0 cm) 8.7 7.4 6.5 1.9 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 2.9 6.2 33.9
Average relative humidity (%) 78.8 79.6 78.5 80.1 82.4 87.2 88.3 87.4 84.4 82.8 79.8 78.7 82.3
Average dew point °C (°F) −1.5
(29.3)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 0.0
(32.0)		 3.1
(37.6)		 6.2
(43.2)		 8.2
(46.8)		 8.1
(46.6)		 5.4
(41.7)		 2.0
(35.6)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 2.2
(36.0)
Source 1: NOAA (humidity 1961-1990)[9][10]
Source 2: Iceland Met Office (extremes)[11]
Coastal temperature data for Vestmannaeyjar
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C (°F) 6.3
(43.34)		 6.5
(43.70)		 6.3
(43.34)		 6.7
(44.06)		 8.0
(46.40)		 9.3
(48.74)		 11.1
(51.98)		 11.6
(52.88)		 11.0
(51.80)		 8.7
(47.66)		 7.6
(45.68)		 6.9
(44.42)		 8.3
(47.00)
Source 1: Seatemperature.net[12]

History and name

[edit]
Title page of the book by Ólafur Egilsson, who was captured by Barbary corsairs in 1627
Map of the archipelago
February 2009 south aerial view of Súlnasker Geldungur, Hellisey, Álsey, Brandur, Suðurey, Heimaey, Bjarnarey, Elliðaey, with the Icelandic mainland in the background
Heimaklettur seen from the top of Eldfell Volcano, which erupted on 23 January 1973
Vestmannaeyjar as seen from Route 1, mainland Iceland
Development of the coastline of Heimaey during the eruption of Eldfell in 1973
Heimaklettur seen from Stakkagerðistún, which is a public park in the middle of Heimaey

Early years

[edit]

The islands are named after Gaels who had been captured into slavery by Norsemen. The Old Norse word Vestmenn, literally "Westmen", was applied to the Celts of Britain and Ireland, and retained in Icelandic even though Iceland is further west than Britain and Ireland. (In contrast, the Norse Gaels often called themselves Ostmen or Austmenn – "East-men".)[13]

Not long after Ingólfr Arnarson arrived in Iceland, his blood brother Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson was murdered by the thralls he had brought with him. Ingólfur tracked them down to the Vestmannaeyjar and killed them all in retribution, hence the name Vestmannaeyjar (the islands of the west men). This is speculated to have occurred in c. 875.[citation needed]

Arab pirate ships raid

[edit]

In 1627, three Arab pirate ships from the Ottoman Empire-controlled Barbary Coast, what is now Morocco and Algeria, raided several towns on the south coast of Iceland and outlying islands.[14] They captured the islands on 16 July 1627, in an event known as the Turkish Abductions, and stayed there until 19 July 1627. They had earlier raided the east of Iceland, and Murat Reis from Salé in Morocco had commanded another raid in Grindavík in June of that year. [citation needed]

The Arab pirates killed or kidnapped--and sent to Algeria as slaves and concubines--almost half of the people of Heimaey.[15] They burned down the island's church, killed one of its pastors, and kidnapped the other pastor.[16] The pirates captured and kidnapped 234 people from the islands and took them on a 27-day voyage to Algiers, where most of them spent the rest of their lives in bondage.[17] One of the captives, Lutheran minister Ólafur Egilsson, managed to return in 1628 and wrote a book about his experience, but his wife Ásta Þorsteinsdóttir did not return until 1637 and his sons never returned.[18]

In 1636, ransom was paid for 34 of the captives, and most of them returned to Iceland. After this, a small fort was built on Skansinn (that is, "the bastion"), and an armed guard was established to keep watch from the mountain Helgafell for the approach of ships.[citation needed]

1700-present

[edit]

For centuries, the people of the Vestmannaeyjar had a struggle for existence, living from fishing and wild birds and their eggs, which they gathered in the cliffs and rock stacks offshore. At the end of the 19th century, when the population was about 600, changes took place in the lifestyle of the islanders. In 1904, the first motorised boat was purchased, and more followed afterwards. By 1930, the population had risen to 3,470. Shortage of fresh water was also a problem for a long time, but improvement took place in 1968 when a pipeline was laid.[citation needed]

The area is volcanically active, like the rest of Iceland. There were two major eruptions in the 20th century: the eruption in 1963 that created the new island of Surtsey, and the Eldfell eruption of January 1973, which created a 200-metre-high (660 ft) mountain where a meadow had been, and caused the island's 5,000 inhabitants to be temporarily evacuated to the mainland.[citation needed]

In 2000, Heimaey stave church, a replica of the Haltdalen Stave Church containing a replica of the St Olav frontal, was erected at Skansinn as a gift from the Norwegian government to Iceland, commemorating the conversion of Iceland to Christianity a thousand years before.[19]

Transportation

[edit]

A ferry service runs from Landeyjahöfn (closer) and sometimes under bad conditions to Þorlákshöfn (further away).[20] The new Landeyjahöfn harbour opened in 2010, shortening the sailing time to around 40 minutes.[21] A new hybrid electric ferry with a 3 MWh (11 GJ) battery and capacity for 550 passengers and 75 cars started operating the 13-kilometre (8.1-mile) route in July 2019.[22][23][24] It uses 100 MWh (360 GJ) week, replacing 35 tonnes (35,000 kg; 39 short tons) of fuel. In bad weather, the longer route to Þorlákshöfn requires fuel.[25]

Vestmannaeyjar Airport services seasonal, charter and medical flights as well as general aviation. Seasonal scheduled flights to Reykjavík are provided during the winter months by Norlandair.[citation needed] Vestmannaeyjagöng is a proposed undersea tunnel to the mainland.[citation needed]

[edit]

Festival

[edit]

The islands are famed in Iceland for their major annual festival, Þjóðhátíð ("The National Festival"), which attracts thousands of people. The festival was first held in 1874, at the same time as the commemoration of the millennium of the settlement of Iceland. Vestmannaeyjar residents had been prevented by bad weather from sailing to the mainland for the festivities and thus celebrated locally.[26]

Film

[edit]

Literature

[edit]

Sport

[edit]

ÍBV, based on Vestmannaeyjar have won national championships and national cups in both handball and football.[citation needed]

The Westman Islands Golf Club was established in 1938[28] and is located in the remnants of an extinct volcano.[29] Golf Monthly ranks it as one of the top 200 golf courses in Europe.[30]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Westman Islands". Icelandic Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  2. ↑ https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/iceland/vestmannaeyjar Dated September 2026.
  3. ↑ Taylor Kate Brown (11 September 2014). "How do you stop the flow of lava?". BBC News. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "VESTMANNAEYJAR: Volcanic Activity". Nordic Adventure Travel. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Vefsíðugerð (5 December 2017). "The Volcanic Eruption 1973 | Visit Westman Islands". Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Vestmann climate: weather by month, temperature, rain - Climates to Travel". www.climatestotravel.com. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Vefsíðugerð (4 December 2017). "About Westman Islands the best kept secret in Iceland". Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "An Icelandic Town Goes All Out to Save Baby Puffins". Smithsonian Magazine. March 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Storhofdi Climate Normals 1981-2010". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Vestmannaeyjar/Storhofo Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Mánaðarmeðaltöl fyrir stöð 815 - Stórhöfði" (in Icelandic). Icelandic Meteorological Office. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Vestmannaeyjar Sea Temperature". seatemperature.net. 30 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023.
  13. ↑ vikingtours (30 June 2024). "Westman Islands: From Norse Settlements to Modern Marine Conservation". vikingtours.is. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Tinniswood, Adrian (2010). Pirates of Barbary: Corsairs, Conquests and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean. Penguin. ISBN 9781101445310. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  15. ↑ Cite error: The named reference raid was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ↑ Helgason, Þorsteinn (16 February 2024). "The 1627 Turkish Raid on Iceland". Al-Andalus y la Historia.
  17. ↑ „Hvað gerðist í Tyrkjaráninu?". Vísindavefurinn, retrieved on 26 February 2012. (In Icelandic.)
  18. ↑ "The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson". Reisubok.net. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  19. ↑ Paul Torvik Nilsen, 'Colourful Middle Ages', Tell'us: Science in Norway (December 2001), 6-9.
  20. ↑ "Ferry: Þorlákshöfn to Vestmannaeyjar". Visit Westman Islands - Ferry Herjólfur to Vestmannaeyjar. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Landeyjahöfn tekin í notkun". www.stjornarradid.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "ABB To Supply Drive & Energy Storage Technologies For New Electric Ferry". CleanTechnica. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  23. ↑ "Herjólfur IV". Corvus Energy. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Herjólfur". herjolfur.is. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021.
  25. ↑ Hafstað, Vala (28 November 2020). "Major Advantages to Running Ferry on Electricity". Iceland Monitor. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "The Festival". Visitvestmannaeyjar.is. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "The Devil Colony: A Sigma Force Novel". JamesRollins.com. p. 31. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  28. ↑ Daley, Paul (2008). Golf Architecture: A Worldwide Perspective, Volume 4. Pelican Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 9781589806160.
  29. ↑ Masters, James; Cuadrado, Patrick Sung (24 August 2018). "Volcanoes, lava and crashing waves: Playing golf 'Iceland style'". CNN. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  30. ↑ "Vestman Island golf course". Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
[edit]

63°25′N 20°17′W / 63.417°N 20.283°W / 63.417; -20.283

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