Eysturoy (pronounced
estroimeaning 'East Island') is a
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
and the second-largest of the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
, both in size and population.
Description
Eysturoy is separated by a narrow
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...
from the main island of
Streymoy
Streymoy ( da, Strømø) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also i ...
. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with some 66 separate mountain
peaks Peak or The Peak may refer to:
Basic meanings Geology
* Mountain peak
** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics
* Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion
* Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...
, including
Slættaratindur
Slættaratindur (English: ''Flat peak'') is the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, at an elevation of 880 metres. It is located in the northern part of Eysturoy, between the villages of Eiði, Gjógv, and Funningur. Funningur lies at the fo ...
, the highest peak in the
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...
at . The country's two longest fjords,
Skálafjørður in the south and
Funningsfjørður in the north, almost split the island in two halves. The isthmus in between, Millum Fjarða, is one of the flattest areas in the country. Important settlements on Eysturoy are
Fuglafjørður in the north and the densely populated area of the municipalities of
Runavík and
Nes in the south.
Eysturoy is connected with Streymoy by the
Streymin Bridge over the Sundini.
Leirvík on the east coast of the island is the gateway for transport connections to the north-eastern islands, particularly
Klaksvík
Klaksvík is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality.
History
The first s ...
on the island of
Borðoy
Borðoy ( da, Bordø) is an island in the north-east of the Faroe Islands. Its name means 'headland island'. There are eight settlements: Klaksvík (the second largest town in the Faroes), Norðoyri, Ánir, Árnafjørður, Strond, Norðtoftir, ...
, which is the Faroes' second-largest town. In December 2020, the sub-sea
Eysturoyartunnilin (the Eysturoy Tunnel) was opened, creating a direct link between
Runavík,
Strendur and
Tórshavn
Tórshavn (; lit. " Thor's harbour"), usually locally referred to as simply ''Havn'', is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of the city lies the ...
.
Sites of interest on Eysturoy include the villages of
Eiði
Eiði (''Northern Faroese'' �ɔiːjɪ) is a village located on the north-west tip of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands. It is the seat of Eiði Municipality. It is located 4 km north of Ljósá and 6.5 km west of Funningur.
History
Eiði was first ...
and
Gjógv, the latter having a small natural port in a rock column; the Blásastova historical museum in the village of
Gøta; and the ''varmakelda'' (thermal springs) of Fuglafjørður. Off the northern tip of the island are the
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
sea stack
A stack or sea stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by wave erosion. Stacks are formed over time by wind and water, processes of coastal geomorphology ...
s
Risin og Kellingin
Risin og Kellingin (Risin and Kellingin) are two sea stacks just off the northern coast of the island of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands close to the town of Eiði. The name ''Risin og Kellingin'' means ''The Giant and the Witch'' (or ''Hag'') and ...
.
The town of
Glyvrar on the eastern coast of Eysturoy is the home-base for
Bakkafrost, the largest company in the Faroe Islands. Bakkafrost is the eighth-largest fishing company worldwide. Four out of ten Premier league
football clubs
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all ...
are in Eysturoy:
IF (
Fuglafjørður),
NSÍ (
Runavík),
Skála ÍF
Skála Ítróttarfelag (Skála ÍF) is a Faroese football club based in Skáli, municipality of Runavík. The club was founded on 15 May 1965. They currently play in the Betrideildin, which is the top football league of the Faroe Islands. Th ...
and
Víkingur (
Leirvík). There are
regional rowing festivals in Fuglafjørður (Varmakelda), Runavík (Eystanstevna), and one alternating between Skáli, Strendur and Vestmanna (Fjarðastevna). Accepted
''grind'' beaches are in Fuglafjørður,
Funningsfjørður, Norðra- and Syðragøta,
Norðskáli and
Skálafjørður.
Important Bird Area
The north, north-east, and south-east coasts of the island have been identified as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...
by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because of their significance as
seabird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same envir ...
breeding sites, especially for
Manx shearwater
The Manx shearwater (''Puffinus puffinus'') is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is a ...
s (2500 pairs),
European storm petrel
The European storm petrel, British storm petrel, or just storm petrel (''Hydrobates pelagicus'') is a seabird in the northern storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. The small, square-tailed bird is entirely black except for a broad, white rump and ...
s (500 pairs) and
black guillemot
The black guillemot or tystie (''Cepphus grylle'') is a medium-sized seabird of the Alcidae family, native throughout northern Atlantic coasts and eastern North American coasts. It is resident in much of its range, but large populations from the ...
s (300 pairs).
[BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Eysturoy. Downloaded from on 2012-02-22.]
References
Further reading
* Viderö, Kristian Osvald. Saga Eysturoyar. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, 1994.
External links
*
Personal website with 15 aerial photos of Eysturoy
{{Authority control
Islands of the Faroe Islands
Important Bird Areas of the Faroe Islands