Nólsoy

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Nólsoy
Island
Nolsoy village.jpg
Location within the Faroe Islands
Location within the Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°00′33″N 6°40′7″W / 62.00917°N 6.66861°W / 62.00917; -6.66861Coordinates: 62°00′33″N 6°40′7″W / 62.00917°N 6.66861°W / 62.00917; -6.66861
State Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country Faroe Islands
Municipality seatTórshavn Municipality
Area
 • Total10.3 km2 (4.0 sq mi)
Highest elevation
372 m (1,220 ft)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total227
 • Density22/km2 (57/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (EST)
Postal code
FO-270
Calling code298

Nólsoy (previously also Nölsoy; Danish: Nolsø; Old Norse: Norsey) is an island and village in central Faroe Islands, 4 km east of the capital Tórshavn in Streymoy.

Description[]

Eggjarklettur hill on Nólsoy, as seen from Tórshavn.

Nólsoy is the lowest of the Faroes; the highest point is Eggjarklettur (372 m) on the mountain Høgoyggj. The southern coast contains two capes, each with a lighthouse (Øknastangi on the south-east, Borðan on the south). The lighthouses were built in the late 18th century to aid smugglers working against the unpopular trading monopoly imposed by Denmark. In 2005, the National Bank of Denmark issued a 20 DKK commemorative coin for the lighthouse.[1]

There is only one settlement on the island, also called Nólsoy, on the north-west coast on the Stongin peninsula which is attached to the rest of the island by a metres-wide isthmus. The small coastal village is made up of colourful homes and buildings, placed extremely close to each other to help shelter each other from storms. The island is accessible by a 20-minute ferry journey from Tórshavn. As many as 40 people that live in Nólsoy go to work in Tórshavn each morning. In recent years many young families have moved from Tórshavn to Nólsoy where the houses are cheaper than in Tórshavn. This way it is possible to live "in the country" and still be only 20 minutes from the capital. Nólsoy is the most populous of the Faroe islands not to have an existing or planned road connection to the rest of the archipelago.

People from Nólsoy[]

Nólsoy has an annual civic festival called Ovastevna, held at the beginning of August. Ovastevna is similar to Ólavsøka in Tórshavn only smaller. Ovastevna is held to commemorate Ove Joensen from Nólsoy. He rowed from the Faroe Islands to Denmark in a traditional Faeroese boat in 1986. In 1987 Ove drowned in Skálafjørður-inlet where he fell overboard. The profit from the festival is used to build a swimming pool for the children in Nólsoy. Ove originally started this project after his row to Denmark.

Nólsoyar Páll came from Nólsoy. He is recognized as a kind of freedom fighter and national hero. He fought to end the Royal Trade Monopoly in the beginning of 19th century. The Royal Trade Monopoly was exhausting and impoverishing the people of the Faroe Islands from 1271 to 1856. Nólsoyar Páll carried trade between Denmark and Faroe Islands in his ship ‘Royndin Frida’. His ship was the first Faeroese ocean-going vessel since the early Middle Ages.

Climate[]

Climate data for Nólsoy, 80 m.a.s.l.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.1
(53.8) 		10.6
(51.1) 		10.8
(51.4) 		13.3
(55.9) 		18.2
(64.8) 		18.6
(65.5) 		18.0
(64.4) 		17.8
(64.0) 		17.2
(63.0) 		14.0
(57.2) 		12.2
(54.0) 		11.5
(52.7) 		18.6
(65.5)
Average high °C (°F) 5.2
(41.4) 		5.5
(41.9) 		5.8
(42.4) 		6.8
(44.2) 		8.8
(47.8) 		10.6
(51.1) 		11.9
(53.4) 		12.2
(54.0) 		10.6
(51.1) 		8.9
(48.0) 		6.8
(44.2) 		5.9
(42.6) 		8.2
(46.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.5
(38.3) 		3.8
(38.8) 		3.9
(39.0) 		4.7
(40.5) 		6.7
(44.1) 		8.5
(47.3) 		9.9
(49.8) 		10.2
(50.4) 		8.8
(47.8) 		7.3
(45.1) 		5.0
(41.0) 		4.0
(39.2) 		6.3
(43.3)
Average low °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2) 		1.6
(34.9) 		1.6
(34.9) 		2.5
(36.5) 		4.8
(40.6) 		6.6
(43.9) 		8.2
(46.8) 		8.4
(47.1) 		6.8
(44.2) 		5.2
(41.4) 		2.8
(37.0) 		1.6
(34.9) 		4.3
(39.7)
Record low °C (°F) −7.6
(18.3) 		−6.8
(19.8) 		−8.4
(16.9) 		−6.6
(20.1) 		−2.6
(27.3) 		0.4
(32.7) 		2.7
(36.9) 		2.4
(36.3) 		1.0
(33.8) 		−4.0
(24.8) 		−7.2
(19.0) 		−9.2
(15.4) 		−9.2
(15.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 99
(3.9) 		72
(2.8) 		92
(3.6) 		59
(2.3) 		56
(2.2) 		54
(2.1) 		60
(2.4) 		66
(2.6) 		107
(4.2) 		126
(5.0) 		107
(4.2) 		109
(4.3) 		1,006
(39.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 19 15 18 13 12 11 12 13 18 20 19 20 189
Source: Danish Meteorological Institute[2]

Wildlife[]

Nólsoy has one of the world's largest colonies of European storm petrels (50,000 pairs). Mountain hares and house mice were introduced by humans, and Nólsoy has its own subspecies of house mouse Mus m. domesticus faroeensis, one of the largest in the world.[3] Nólsoy is also home to the first known wild population of common frogs in the Faroe Islands.

Important Bird Area[]

Designations
Official nameNolsoy
Designated31 May 2012
Reference no.2052[4]

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because of its significance as a breeding site for seabirds, especially European storm petrels, Atlantic puffins (30,000 pairs) and black guillemots (100 pairs).[5]

Nólsoy on Faroese stamps[]

Nólsoy has featured on a number of stamps from Postverk Føroya:

  • Winter day
    Artist: Steffan Danielsen
    Issued: 3 June 1985
    Engraving: Czeslaw Slania

  • Lighthouse of Borðan, Nólsoy 1893
    Issued: 23 Sept 1985

  • Nólsoy, Faroe Islands
    Artist: Steffan Danielsen
    Issued: 8 Oct 1990

  • Nólsoy, Faroe Islands
    Artist: Steffan Danielsen

  • Nólsoy village

  • Nólsoy's whale-bone arch

  • Seafront at Nólsoy

  • Faroese flag flying in Nólsoy village

Gallery[]

  • Position of Nólsoy village

  • Nólsoy

  • Nólsoy

  • Pumice from Nólsoy

References[]

  1. ^ "Sedler og mønter: Tårnmønter". National Bank of Denmark. February 10, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  2. ^ "The Climate of The Faroe Islands - with Climatological Standard Normals, 1961-1990 Greenland" (PDF). Danish Meteorological Institute. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Clarke, W.E., On some Forms of Mus musculus, Linn., with Description of a new Subspecies from the Faroe Islands 1904
  4. ^ "Nolsoy". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  5. ^ BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Nólsoy. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2012-02-23.

External links[]

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