Skálafjørður () is a
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...
in
Eysturoy and the longest in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...
.
Name
Skála is a town situated on the western shore of the fjord. Its name (''Skáli'', genitive case ''skála'') means 'hall', 'assembly hall' or 'isolated hut' in
Faroese. The southern part of the fjord near
Runavík is historically also known as Kongshavn (''King's Harbour'') in Danish, referring to the excellent shelter in the natural harbour.
Geography
The Skálafjørður is the longest fjord in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...
. It measures (
Equidistant line) from the village of
Skálafjørður to where it fuses with the
Tangafjørður, between Raktangi (near
Strendur) and
Toftir. The deepest points are two different spots at circa depth near the villages of
Runavík and
Søldarfjørður respectively. The entrance of the fjord contains a shallow
glacial threshold, at in between
Strendur and
Saltnes. Here the fjord is at its narrowest (, not including breakwaters), whereas the fjord overall has a fairly steady width of . The threshold limits water circulation in and out of the fjord, compounding oxygen inflow and biological activity. Thanks to this threshold, the fjord forms an excellent roadstead
and was used as a
submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
shelter for the allied forces during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Transport
There are national highways on either side of the fjord. The
Eysturoyartunnilin offers a road connection between
Runavík,
Strendur and
Tórshavn
Tórshavn (; ; Danish language, Danish: ''Thorshavn''), 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 th ...
, reducing road distances between both Eysturoy towns and Tórshavn from to . The tunnel has three entrances, with an underwater roundabout situated at a depth of below sea level. For local transport between Runavík and Strendur, the new tunnel results in a road distance of , compared to over the old route via
Skálabotnur. The tunnel opened in December 2020. In conjunction with new traffic pulses, Runavík is going to have a
bypass highway built (Fjøruvegin, ''foreshore road'') from the Eysturoyartunnilin to
Glyvrar
Glyvrar () is a village located on Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands.
It is one of several villages on the east side of the Skálafjørður fjord that have grown into a 10-kilometre-long conurbation.
In Glyvrar there is a museum called ’Bygdas ...
, on the shoreline.
Until 2003 a passenger ferry operated 2-3 times daily between Tórshavn, Toftir and Strendur.
Villages
On the eastern bank are the villages, from north to south: Undir Gøtueiði,
Skipanes,
Søldarfjørður,
Lambareiði,
Glyvrar
Glyvrar () is a village located on Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands.
It is one of several villages on the east side of the Skálafjørður fjord that have grown into a 10-kilometre-long conurbation.
In Glyvrar there is a museum called ’Bygdas ...
,
Saltangará,
Runavík,
Saltnes and
Toftir. The last five villages and
Nes form one continuous built-up area. On the western bank are
Skálafjørður (village),
Skála,
Innan Glyvur and
Strendur. The fjord is bordered by three municipalities:
Runavíkar (to which also Skála belongs),
Eysturkommuna and
Sjóvar kommuna. The headquarters of fish processing factory
Bakkafrost
P/F Bakkafrost is a Faroe Islands, Faroese Atlantic salmon, salmon Fish farming, farming company based in Glyvrar on the island of Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands. Bakkafrost is the largest fish farming company in the Faroe Islands, and is the bigg ...
are situated in Glyrvar.
The village of
Skálafjørður was also known as Skálabotnur until 2019. Its beach has been the sole officially recognised local
grind bay, for whale hunting, since 2017.
See also
*
Sundini
*
Tangafjørður
*
Eysturoyartunnilin
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skalafjordur
Geography of the Faroe Islands
Fjords of the Faroe Islands