Nólsoy (Island and settlement)

© Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur
The waterfront in Nólsoy with fishing boats in the foreground. In the middle of the photo is the jaw of a large whale that was once erected as an triumphal arch. MARTIN N. JOHANSEN/BIOFOTO/RITZAU SCANPIX, 2018

The 10.3-km² island of Nólsoy, mentioned in Hundabrævið, has 234 inhabitants and covers 48 merkur. 13 merkur are copyhold land distributed between five copyhold tenants, and 35 merkur are freehold land. The sheep herd consists of 768 animals.

In Korndalur, south of the village, you can see the ruins of an abandoned byling. As in other villages, fishing used to be the main occupation together with the fishing industry, but many now work outside the island. In addition, the village’s music venue, cafés and tourism have gained increasing importance.

Since 1893, there has been a lighthouse on Borðan as well as residences for the lighthouse keeper and his helpers; the lighthouse was automated in 1995. The church was built in 1863. The first school was built in 1887, and a new one was built in 1970. The old houses við Brunn from the 17th century have been preserved as historical monuments. The sailor and national hero Poul Poulsen Nolsøe, better known as Nólsoyar-Páll, was born on Nólsoy.

The artist Steffan Danielsen was born and lived on Nólsoy. The selftaught natural scientist Jens-Kjeld Jensen settled on Nólsoy in 1970. He received the cultural prize Mentanarvirðisløn M.A. Jacobsens in 2012, became an honorary doctor at Fróðskaparsetur Føroya (University of the Faroe Islands) in 2015 and won the Nordic Council’s environment prize in 2020. The sailor Ove Joensen also came from Nólsoy. In 1986, he rowed in his small rowing boat Diana Victoria from the Faroe Islands to Copenhagen in 41 days. His boat is on display in the village, and since 1993 he has been celebrated at an annual summer festival.

Further reading

Read more about The islands, towns and settlements

  • Jóan Pauli Joensen

    (b. 1945) D.Phil. in History and D.Phil. in Ethnology. Professor Emeritus and adjunct professor at the University of the Faroe Islands and former rector of the University of the Faroe Islands.