Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost 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 ...
. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy
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 and t ...
(
sýsla
A sýsla is a police district in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and formerly in Denmark and Norway.
For the historical entity see: syssel.
Faroe Islands sýsla
* Norðoyar
* Eysturoy
* Streymoy
* Vágar
* Sandoy
* Suðuroy
Iceland
* Árnessý ...
) comprises this island and
Lítla Dímun
Lítla Dímun is a small, uninhabited island between the islands of Suðuroy and Stóra Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It is the smallest of the main 18 islands, being less than a square kilometre (247 acres) in area, and is the only uninhabited ...
, the next isle northward in the Faroes, which is uninhabited.
History
One ancient settlement,
Víkarbyrgi
Víkarbyrgi is a former village on the Faroese island of Suðuroy, Faroe Islands.
It no longer has a population. It retains a postal code (FO 928) and is located at N 61° 26' 34 W 6° 43' 28. The etymology of its name is reputed to be connected ...
was abandoned late in the 1990s. Another settlement,
Akraberg
Akraberg is the southern tip of Suðuroy, 5 km south from the village of Sumba, in the Faroe Islands. The name Akraberg derives from ''akur'' (cereal field). Five kilometres south of Akraberg is the southernmost point of The Faroe Islands, ...
was abandoned around 1350 because of the
Black Death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
; the people who lived there at that time came from
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
, and legend has it that people in Hørg (in Sumba) can trace their ancestry back to this settlement, which was situated on the southernmost point of the island.
In the 17th century, Suðuroy was subjected to repeated attacks by
North African pirates, who in the Faroe Islands were referred to as
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
when North Africa belonged to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. One well known such incident was the
Slave raid of Suðuroy .They abducted several women and children. Famine ensued, and many of the island's inhabitants died of starvation. In 1615, the pirate-plagued
Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
was rescued by two Danish warships in the spring. The pirates, who used Hvalba as a kind of base port, had unfortunately sailed 14 days before the arrival of the Danish
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
.
The village of Sandvík was re-established in the 19th century. Fámara was re-settled in 2010 with the expansion of Vágur beyond its original town borders. Two more settlements were started in the early and mid-20th century: Botni, northwest of
Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
, and Tjaldavík, in a bay southeast of Øravík. Both sites have been abandoned again.
Suðuroy's population has been falling gradually since the 1970s. In 1985, the island had 5,881 inhabitants, but by 2019 the population fell to a record low of 4,591.
Geography
The highest point of Suðuroy is the mountain
Gluggarnir (), but the most famous peak is definitely the mountain of
Beinisvørð
Beinisvørð (Beinisvord) is a high sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy.Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
. The Beinisvørð and its scenery have been praised by the local poet
Poul F. Joensen (1898–1970), as well as other Faroese poets. Suðuroy is the island which has the most
islet
An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...
s and skerries. Suðuroy and the islets and skerries near the island number 263, including the island itself.
The inhabited settlements on Suðuroy include, from north to south:
Sandvík
Sandvík (pronounced , "Sandy Bay"; da, Sandvig) is the northernmost village of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the northern side of a shallow fjord. The village was previously known as Hvalvík (''Bay of Whales'') ...
,
Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
,
Froðba
Froðba ( da, Frodebø) is a village located farthest out on the north brink of Trongisvágsfjørður, an inlet on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands.
History
The village has eventually merged with the harbour-city of T ...
,
Tvøroyri
Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality.
The village is considered ...
,
Trongisvágur
Trongisvágur ( da, Trangisvåg) is a village on the island of Suduroy in the Faroe Islands.
Trongisvágur is the village in the bottom of Trongisvágsfjørður (fjord) on the east coast of Suduroy. Trongisvágur and the neighbouring villages ...
,
Øravík
Øravík (also spelled Ørðavík, da, Ørdevig) is a village on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands.
The village is located in the center of the island on a crossroad where the road to Fámjin goes towards west over ...
,
Fámjin
Fámjin ( da, Famien) is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the North Atlantic Ocean. Name
Geography
The village of Fámjin faces the ocean, althou ...
,
Hov
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
,
Porkeri
Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast.
As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century.
History
Tradition says that ...
,
Nes
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
,
Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
, Fámara,
Akrar
Akrar ( da, Øgrum) is a village in the Faroe Islands.
It is located on Lopransfjørður, an inlet, which itself is part of Vágsfjørður, on the east-side of Suðuroy, and was founded in 1817.
See also
*List of towns in the Faroe Islands
...
,
Lopra and
Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
.
Suðuroy is also the only island of the Faroes which has coalmines, one of which is still active. It is located in
Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
, near the tunnel. Other coalmines were in Rangabotnur in
Trongisvágur
Trongisvágur ( da, Trangisvåg) is a village on the island of Suduroy in the Faroe Islands.
Trongisvágur is the village in the bottom of Trongisvágsfjørður (fjord) on the east coast of Suduroy. Trongisvágur and the neighbouring villages ...
(on the south side of
Trongisvágsfjørður
Trongisvágsfjørður is a fjord on the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. There are four villages around the fjord. Furthest east on the northern side of the fjord is Froðba, in the bottom of the fjord is Trongisvágur. In between Tro ...
), and in
Fámjin
Fámjin ( da, Famien) is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the North Atlantic Ocean. Name
Geography
The village of Fámjin faces the ocean, althou ...
. The bays of
Øravík
Øravík (also spelled Ørðavík, da, Ørdevig) is a village on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands.
The village is located in the center of the island on a crossroad where the road to Fámjin goes towards west over ...
,
Trongisvágur
Trongisvágur ( da, Trangisvåg) is a village on the island of Suduroy in the Faroe Islands.
Trongisvágur is the village in the bottom of Trongisvágsfjørður (fjord) on the east coast of Suduroy. Trongisvágur and the neighbouring villages ...
,
Fámjin
Fámjin ( da, Famien) is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the North Atlantic Ocean. Name
Geography
The village of Fámjin faces the ocean, althou ...
,
Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
and
Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
are designated
''grind'' bays.
In contrast to the name Suðuroy (South Island, singular), the name Suðuroyggjar (Southern Islands, plural) refers to the
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. To refer to the islands south of
Skopunarfjørður
Skopunarfjørður is a strait separating Sandoy and Streymoy in the Faroe Islands. The strait also passes the isle of Hestur.
Geography
The strait runs between (an islet off northern Sandoy) and the south cape of Hestur in the west and Kir ...
one can colloquially say (going) "sunnanfjørðs" or formally Suðurøkið.
Important Bird Area
The western side of the island has 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 Int ...
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 its significance as a breeding site for
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 enviro ...
s, especially
northern fulmar
The northern fulmar (''Fulmarus glacialis''), fulmar, or Arctic fulmar is a highly abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hem ...
s (100,000 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 (2500 pairs),
European shag
The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mai ...
s (200 pairs),
black-legged kittiwake
The black-legged kittiwake (''Rissa tridactyla'') is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.
This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' as ''Larus tridactylus''. The English ...
s (39,000 pairs),
Atlantic puffin
The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern ...
s (20,000 pairs),
common guillemot
The common murre or common guillemot (''Uria aalge'') is a large auk. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to ...
s (31,900 individuals) and
black guillemots (400 pairs).
Transport and infrastructure
MS ''Smyril'' operates two to three times daily between
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 ...
and Suðuroy, leaving from the new ferry port of
Krambatangi
Krambatangi is the ferry port of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. The ferry MS ''Smyril'' M/F disembarks 2–3 times daily from Krambatangi to Tórshavn. Krambatangi is located on the southern side of Trongisvágsfjørður halfway between Trongis ...
on the south side of the fjord of
Trongisvágsfjørður
Trongisvágsfjørður is a fjord on the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. There are four villages around the fjord. Furthest east on the northern side of the fjord is Froðba, in the bottom of the fjord is Trongisvágur. In between Tro ...
. The journey takes two hours. There are
two national bus routes in Suðuroy, route 700 operates between Tvøroyri and
Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
(the southern line) and 701 between Fámjin and
Sandvík
Sandvík (pronounced , "Sandy Bay"; da, Sandvig) is the northernmost village of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the northern side of a shallow fjord. The village was previously known as Hvalvík (''Bay of Whales'') ...
(the northern line). There is a
heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...
at
Froðba
Froðba ( da, Frodebø) is a village located farthest out on the north brink of Trongisvágsfjørður, an inlet on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands.
History
The village has eventually merged with the harbour-city of T ...
with flights to
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 ...
and
Vágar Airport
Vágar Airport ( fo, Vága Floghavn) is the only airport in the Faroe Islands, and is located east of the village of Sørvágur, on the island of Vágar. Due to the Faroe Islands' status as a self-governing territory, the airport is not subje ...
.
A road network runs the entire length of the island, including
five road tunnels: the Sandvíkartunnilin (1969), the old and new
Hvalbiartunnilin
The Hvalbiartunnilin (Hvalba Tunnel) is the name applied to two tunnels on the island of Suðuroy, the most southerly of the Faroe Islands. The original Hvalbiartunnilin is the oldest tunnel in the country, while the new Hvalbiartunnilin is the n ...
(1965 and 2021), Hovstunnilin (2007) and Sumbiartunnilin (1997). The Fámjinstunnilin will be started with in 2022. The proposed
Suðuroyartunnilin
The Suðuroyartunnilin (Suðuroy Tunnel) is a proposed submerged fixed-link in the Faroe Islands, linking the island of Suðuroy to Sandoy. Currently all vehicles and cargo, and virtually all passenger traffic must use the ferry service.
Curren ...
would connect the island with
Skúvoy
Skúvoy or Skúgvoy ( da, Skuø) is an island in the central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy.
It is named after the large number of great skua present on the island (who have a habit of attacking intruders). There is only one se ...
and
Sandoy
Sandoy ("Sand Island") is the first of the five southern islands that make up the Faroe chain, the fifth biggest of all the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. It also refers to the region that includes this island alon ...
, replacing the ferry ''Smyril.''
![Elverkið í Botni](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Elverki%C3%B0_%C3%AD_Botni.jpg)
The Suðuroy
electricity grid
An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...
depends on the
Vágur 13 MW diesel, 6.3 MW wind turbines and the 3.3 MW hydro
Botnur power plant
The Botnur power plant ( fo, Elektrisitetsverkið í Botni) is a hydroelectric power station supplying the Faroe Islands' southernmost island of Suðuroy with electricity. It is located to the north of Vágur. Botnur was the first hydroelectric ...
. The island is
not connected to other islands.
A 250 kW
solar park
A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building- ...
was installed at Sumba in 2019, and produces 2 MWh/day at best.
Power supply agency
SEV calculated that two 900 kW
wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
s could save DKK 6 million per year on diesel, and seven Enercon wind turbines at a combined 6.3 MW were installed at
Porkeri Mountains
The Porkeri Mountains are a mountain range near the village of Porkeri in the Faroe Islands near the Porkeri Mountains, just north of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast.
Mountains of the Faroe Islands
{{Faroes-geo-stub ...
in 2020. The wind turbines reduced the consumption of oil.
[ A 6MW / 7.5MWh grid battery and a syncron compensator is planned to stabilize the grid.
]
Sights and activities
Cliffs
Vágseiði
Vágseiði is an area in Vágur, Faroe Islands, located on the west coast of Suðuroy west of the village Vágur, from which it takes its name. ''Eiði'' is the Faroese word for ''isthmus''. The distance between the east and the west coast of Vá ...
is a place with cliffs towards south, but the road is down by the sea, the skerries are called Heltnarnar and a cliff on Vágseiði is called Múlatangi.
Eggjarvegur on the south side of the fjord, Vágsfjørður, leads up to Eggjarnar
Eggjarnar (also called Skúvanes) is a place to the south of the village of Vágur on Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands, which is known for its scenic viewpoint to the sea-cliffs of the southern part of Suðuroy all the way to Beinisvørð in ...
, on a vertical cliff with a view towards Beinisvørð in the south and to Vágseiði
Vágseiði is an area in Vágur, Faroe Islands, located on the west coast of Suðuroy west of the village Vágur, from which it takes its name. ''Eiði'' is the Faroese word for ''isthmus''. The distance between the east and the west coast of Vá ...
in the north. On Eggjarnar, visitors can find two concrete bunkers which were British observation points during World War II. There is also an abandoned former Loran-C
Loran-C is a hyperbolic radio navigation system that allows a receiver to determine its position by listening to low frequency radio signals that are transmitted by fixed land-based radio beacons. Loran-C combined two different techniques to p ...
radar station, as it closed down in the mid-1970s.
South of Eggjarnar is the isthmus of Lopra, Lopranseiði, which is around above sea level. An islet called Lopranshólmur is just a few metres from the cliffs of Lopranseiði. The cliff Beinisvørð is south of Lopranseiði, in between are some skerries, where the Dutch ship SS Westerbeek was shipwrecked in 1742. Eighty-four men were on board, three died when the ship ran aground, one fell down while trying to climb the cliff, but eighty men survived. They had to climb up the vertical cliff in order to survive, they found a place on the cliff where they could stand, they climbed from the ship to the cliff by the broken mast.
Fámjin
Fámjin
Fámjin ( da, Famien) is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the North Atlantic Ocean. Name
Geography
The village of Fámjin faces the ocean, althou ...
is one of two villages which are located on the west coast of Suðuroy, Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
is the other one. All the other villages are located on the east coast. Fámjin has a special reef in the middle of the bay, which close the bay at low tide, except for a sailing channel made by men in order for fishing boats to be able to go fishing. The small fishing harbour is inside this reef. There is a lake just above the village, called Kirkjuvatn
Kirkjuvatn is a lake in Suðuroy, 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 ...
, the path starts near the church. Another attraction in Fámjin are the cliffs and gorge west of the village, called Prestgjógv (Priest Gorge). The main attraction of Fámjin however is the original Faroese flag, Merkið
The flag of the Faroe Islands (in faroese: ''Merkið'') is an offset cross, representing Christianity. It is similar in design to other Nordic flags – a tradition set by the '' Dannebrog'' of Denmark, of which the Faroe Islands are an auto ...
, which is hanging inside of the church. It was made in 1919, by some Faroese students who studied in Copenhagen. One of them was Jens Oliver Lisberg
Jens Oliver Lisberg (24 December 1896 – 31 August 1920) (Jens Olivur Lisberg in modern Faroese) was one of the designers of the ''Merkið'', the flag of the Faroe Islands.
While a law student in Copenhagen, he devised the flag in 1919 with ...
from Fámjin. The flag was not recognized as the official flag of the Faroe Islands until World War II, when the Faroes were occupied by the British, and Denmark by Germany, and the islands needed their own flag. Since then, the Merkið has been the official flag of the Faroe Islands. Inside the church of Fámjin is also the Fámjin stone
The Fámjin stone ( fo, Fámjinssteinurin) is a runestone located in the church of Fámjin on the Faroe Islands. The stone bears both Latin and Runic
Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the ...
, a Runestone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones da ...
with runic inscriptions.
Hikes
Tvøroyri there is an attractive walk across the mountains to a valley called Hvannhagi. There is a view over the valley and to Lítla Dímun
Lítla Dímun is a small, uninhabited island between the islands of Suðuroy and Stóra Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It is the smallest of the main 18 islands, being less than a square kilometre (247 acres) in area, and is the only uninhabited ...
and Stóra Dímun and the sea from above the valley. No roads lead to this valley.
Jóansøka
Tvøroyri
Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality.
The village is considered ...
and Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
take turns in hosting an annual civic Midsummer festival called Jóansøka. It can be described as a smaller version of the Ólavsøka
Ólavsøka is the biggest summer festival in the Faroe Islands, and by most Faroese considered as the national holiday of the Faroes along with Flag Day on 25 April. Ólavsøka is celebrated over two days, from the 28th to the 29th of July, th ...
held in 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 ...
. It runs in late June, in the last weekend of June, the rowing competition is always on Saturday of the Jóansøka weekend.
Theatres
In Øravíkarlíð near the ferry terminal the island's main cultural venue SALT sits in a former salt silo. It was abandoned in 1980 and after repurposing opened as a theatre in 2017.
Sports in Suðuroy
Football in Suðuroy
The oldest sports club in 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 ...
, the football club Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag
Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag is a Faroese football club from Tvøroyri, currently playing in the Betrideildin, the top tier of Faroese football. TB Tvøroyri is the oldest football club in the Faroe Islands, and also one of the oldest in the Danish Real ...
(TB) was founded in Tvøroyri on May 13, 1892, and is thereby the 9th oldest football club in the Danish Kingdom. There were three other football clubs in Suðuroy: Vágs Bóltfelag
Vágs Bóltfelag (VB) is a Faroese handball club. It started as a football club, which was founded on 5 June 1905, but later the sport handball became a part of the club. The handball club is based in Vágur in Suðuroy. They play their ho ...
, (VB), Royn from Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
and the football club from Sumba, but VB Vágur
VB often refers to volleyball, a team sport.
VB, Vb, and variants may refer to:
Places
* Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (ISO code VB), Italy
* Vero Beach, a city in Florida, USA
* Virginia Beach, a city in Virginia, USA
Companies and organiza ...
and Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
merged in 2005 to VB/Sumba (a similar merger under the name Sumba/VB had been attempted in the 1995 season but it lasted only this one season). On January 1, 2010 a new football club has been founded in Suðuroy, it is called FC Suðuroy
FC Suðuroy is a Faroese football club which was founded in January 2010 and consists currently of the former clubs VB (founded in 1905) and Sumba (founded in 1949), which merged in 2005 to form VB/Sumba. FC Suðuroy's first team in the men's ch ...
and currently consists of the prior VB/Sumba.
TB Tvøroyri
TB or Tb may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Terabyte (TB), a unit of information (often measuring storage capacity)
* Terabit (Tb), a unit of information (often measuring data transfer)
* Thunderbolt (interface)
* Test bench
Vehicl ...
currently (2013) competes in the best Faroese football division; FC Suðuroy
FC Suðuroy is a Faroese football club which was founded in January 2010 and consists currently of the former clubs VB (founded in 1905) and Sumba (founded in 1949), which merged in 2005 to form VB/Sumba. FC Suðuroy's first team in the men's ch ...
plays in the second best division. Both TB Tvøroyri
TB or Tb may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Terabyte (TB), a unit of information (often measuring storage capacity)
* Terabit (Tb), a unit of information (often measuring data transfer)
* Thunderbolt (interface)
* Test bench
Vehicl ...
and VB Vágur
VB often refers to volleyball, a team sport.
VB, Vb, and variants may refer to:
Places
* Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (ISO code VB), Italy
* Vero Beach, a city in Florida, USA
* Virginia Beach, a city in Virginia, USA
Companies and organiza ...
have won the Faroese National Championship (TB seven times, the last being in 1987, and VB once in the year 2000); but since the success is lacking in recent years, there is a growing debate about merging the four teams into one, (VB and Sumba have, as mentioned above, already joined forces since 2005). Royn Hvalba is playing in 3rd division in 2013.
Swimming in Suðuroy
Suðuroy has recently had good results in international swimming competitions. The two swimming clubs in Suðuroy "Vágs Svimjifelag" and "Tvøroyrar Svimjifelag" joined forces 6 September 2007 and founded Susvim, which is for the whole island. A young man from Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
has had the best results until now. Pál Joensen
Pál Joensen (born 10 December 1990) is a Faroese elite swimmer. He was born in Vágur, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. He has won World and European Championship medals. His bronze medal in the men's 1500 metre freestyle at the 2012 FINA World Swim ...
won triple gold in the 2008 European Junior Swimming Championships on the short course in the men's 400 M, 800 M and 1500 M Freestyle. Two years later he won silver in the Men's 1500 M Freestyle at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships
The 2010 European Aquatics Championships were held from 4–15 August 2010 in Budapest and Balatonfüred, Hungary. It was the fourth time that the city of Budapest hosts this event after 1926, 1958 and 2006. Events in swimming, diving, synchroni ...
. Other swimmers from Susvim have also had good results in 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 ...
and in Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and other countries and at the Island Games
The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...
competitions.
Rowing in Suðuroy
There are two active rowing clubs in Suðuroy, Vágs Kappróðrarfelag
Vágs Kappróðrarfelag (Vágur Rowing Club) is a Faroe Islands, Faroese rowing club from Vágur in Suðuroy, which was founded in July 1943.
Boats for Rowing Competitions
Every summer there are several rowing competitions around the islands, ...
from Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
and Froðbiar Sóknar Róðrarfelag from Tvøroyri
Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality.
The village is considered ...
and the villages around Trongisvágsfjørður
Trongisvágsfjørður is a fjord on the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. There are four villages around the fjord. Furthest east on the northern side of the fjord is Froðba, in the bottom of the fjord is Trongisvágur. In between Tro ...
(fjord). There are also rowing clubs in Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
and in Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
. In Sumba they had a boat which was called ''Broddur'', but they have not been active for some years now. In Hvalba they had a boat which was named ''Snopprikkur'' after a well-known man from the history of Suðuroy (Suðuroyar Sagnir). Vágs Kappróðrarfelag
Vágs Kappróðrarfelag (Vágur Rowing Club) is a Faroe Islands, Faroese rowing club from Vágur in Suðuroy, which was founded in July 1943.
Boats for Rowing Competitions
Every summer there are several rowing competitions around the islands, ...
has these boats: ''Royndin Fríða'', which is a so-called 5-mannafar, ''Smyril'', which is a 6-mannafar, and ''Toftaregin'', which is an 8-mannafar and Vágbingur, which is a 10-mannafar. Froðbiar Sóknar Róðrarfelag has the boats Firvaldur, which is a 5-mannafar (Firvaldur means Butterfly), Firildur and Hulda are also 5-mannafar, Tvørábáturin is a 6-mannafar, Suðringur and another Tvørábáturin are 10-mannafar (there are two boats which are called Tvørábáturin, which means the boat from Tvøroyri).Drekin.fo
Gallery
File:Akraberg.Suðuroy.1.jpg, Lighthouse Akraberg build 1909.
File:Suðuroy 1.jpg, View towards south from the headland of Akraberg, which is the southernmost tip of Suðuroy.
File:Faroese sheep Sumba 1.jpg, Sumba
Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
File:West coast Suðuroy.1.jpg, The westcoast between Beinisvørð
Beinisvørð (Beinisvord) is a high sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy.Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
File:Porkeri.Suðuroy.1.jpg, Porkeri
Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast.
As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century.
History
Tradition says that ...
File:Hov.Suduroy.1.jpg, Hov with Borgaknappur in the background.
File:Famjin1.JPG, Fámjin
Fámjin ( da, Famien) is a village located on the western side of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in Faroe Islands. Fámjin is looking directly out to the North Atlantic Ocean. Name
Geography
The village of Fámjin faces the ocean, althou ...
File:Tvøroyri from Smyril 2.jpg, Tvøroyri
Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality.
The village is considered ...
seen from M/F Smyril.
File:Vágur 2019.jpg, Vágur
Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of Suðuroy, part of the Faroe Islands
It is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the ...
File:Hvalba scenery.jpg, Hvalba
Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.
The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.
Population
Hv ...
and Lítla Dímun
Lítla Dímun is a small, uninhabited island between the islands of Suðuroy and Stóra Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It is the smallest of the main 18 islands, being less than a square kilometre (247 acres) in area, and is the only uninhabited ...
File:West.coast.Suðuroy.2.Jpg, Glyvrabergsgjógv, west of Sandvík
Sandvík (pronounced , "Sandy Bay"; da, Sandvig) is the northernmost village of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the northern side of a shallow fjord. The village was previously known as Hvalvík (''Bay of Whales'') ...
File:Sandvík.Suðuroy.1.jpg, Ásmundarstakkur west of Sandvík
File:Smyri.Suðuroy.1.jpg, M/F Smyril, the ferry between Suðuroy and Tórshavn.
File:Hvannhagi 9.jpg, Hvannhagi
File:Suðuroy 5.jpg, View towards north from Beinisvørð, Suðuroy.
References
Sources
Hagstova.fo Faroe Islands Statistics
Susvim
Bibliography
*
External links
Visitsuduroy.fo General travel information about Suðuroy
Sudurras.com Suðurrás The News Portal of Suðuroy
SSL.fo Time schedule of Smyril the Suðuroy ferry and busses
Smyril - The ferry to SuðuroyPainting Courses in SuðuroyArt Gallery OygginPhotos on Flickr tagged with Suðuroy.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suduroy
Important Bird Areas of the Faroe Islands
Islands of the Faroe Islands