Viðareiði (Settlement) – Trap The Faroe Islands

© Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og Infrastruktur

From ancient times, the vicarage on Norðoyggjar has been located in Ónagerði in Viðareiði. The current vicarage, built in 1854, is still the vicar’s residence. The church in Viðareiði, a stone’s throw from the vicarage, is built of stone and opened in 1892. ÓLAVUR FREDERIKSEN, 2016

Viðareiði, mentioned in Hundabrævið from 1350, covers 48 merkur. 44 merkur are copyhold land and 4 merkur are freehold land. The copyhold land is divided between eight copyhold tenants. The sheep herd consists of 1,163 animals.

Viðareiði is a typical village located by an *eiði*, i.e. on a narrow strip of land between two seas, with access to the water from both sides. The church and vicarage can be seen at the landing site on the right side of the photo. The previous unsafe road to the village was replaced by a tunnel in 2016. ÓLAVUR FREDERIKSEN

Viðareiði is an agricultural village with a dairy farm. The village has access to the sea from both sides of the island, but there is no natural harbour, and it is almost impossible to establish port facilities for modern fishing and business development in the fishing area. Since 1962, Viðareiði has therefore collaborated with Hvannasunds Kommuna on the port in Hvannasund.

Viðareiði was formerly the main village in Norðoyggjar, and in 1801, it had 94 inhabitants. The village has been an independent municipality since 1950, and the population increased from 202 to 352 in the period 1966‑2020.

Until 1934, Norðoyggjar was a superior parish with seven parish churches – from 1592, with a vicar who lived in the vicarage in Ónagerði in Viðareiði. Since 1934, when the superior parish was divided in two, the vicar of Viðareiði, has, in addition to the parish church in Viðareiði, only been in charge for the churches in Hattarvík, Kirkja and Svínoy. The current church was built in 1892.

When revivalist movements began to gain momentum in the Faroe Islands in the early 1900s, the first place it found support in Norðoyggjar was in Viðareiði. The Brethren congregation, which practiced adult baptism, already had a meeting hall in the village in 1906, and in 1907, the first person was rebaptised according to their teachings.

Viðareiði had its first school in 1895. A new school was built in 1986, with classes from 1st to 7th grade, after which the pupils continue their schooling in Klaksvík. In the school building, rooms have been set aside for a day-care facility for young children and an afterschool facility.

Viðareiði is connected to the rest of the Faroe Islands by road, bridge and tunnel to Hvannasund and Klaksvík. In 2016, the unsafe road to Viðareiði was replaced by the modern Viðareiðis Tunnel.

Hotel Norð in Viðareiði was renovated in 2019 and has a restaurant and meeting facilities.

Christian Matras, poet, professor of Nordic languages and, from 1965, the first professor at Fróðskaparsetur Føroya (University of the Faroe Islands), was born in the village.

Further reading