Skarvanes (Settlement) – Trap The Faroe Islands

© Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur

Skarvanes has nine inhabitants and covers 12 merkur; 1 mørk and 5 skinn are copyhold land leased by a copyhold tenant, and 10 merkur and 15 skinn are freehold land. The sheep herd consists of 495 animals.

The settlement in Skarvanes can be traced back to the 16th century. The beach is characterised by being sugga, where driftwood, seaweed and other matter from the sea collect in large quantities.

The settlement has no church, and the school from 1935 is now closed.

With its many hours of sunshine, Skarvanes was one of the best areas for growing grain, and it had its own grain mill located in Mataráin, the stream from which water was drawn for cooking. Today, the mill is protected as a cultural monument.

The self-taught painter Díðrikur á Skarvanesi is one of the Faroe Islands’ first artists with his many bird drawings. Five of his paintings are still preserved and are exhibited at Listasavn Føroya in Tórshavn.

Further reading