Syðrugøta (Settlement) – Trap The Faroe Islands

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Syðrugøta has 479 inhabitants and covers 32 merkur and 10 gyllin. 25 merkur and 10 gyllin are copyhold land that is distributed between 7 copyhold tenants. 5 merkur are freehold land. The largest copyhold farm, Húsgarður, covers 10 merkur and 4 gyllin and is the oldest in the settlement. The sheep population consists of 926 animals.

Archaeological investigations have shown that there used to be a settlement already during the Landnam period, and according to legend, Tróndur í Gøtu had a farm in the area. Traces of a cemetery have been found, which suggest that there also used to be a church in Syðrugøta.

As in other places, sheep farming is no longer of major economic importance, however, Syðrugøta has a dairy farm. Since the inter-war period, companies that produce fish products such as fishmeal and herring oil have been located in the village. In 1929, a fish factory that produced dried cod opened, but it moved to Norðragøta, where the expansion of the port offered better opportunities.

The wool spinning mill Tøtingarvirkið has been an important workplace in the settlement since 1960. The company closed down in 1986, but opened again between 1991 and 2010. It produced yarn from Faroese wool as well as a large selection of knitwear. The buildings are now used for other purposes, including in connection with the G! Festival and other cultural events. The country’s largest shipping company, Varðin, is headquartered in Syðrugøta.

The shipping company owns several of the ships that catch pelagic fish species in the Faroe Islands.

Further reading