Nólsoy

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Map of Nólsoy
Map of Nólsoy
Position of Nólsoy island
Position of Nólsoy island

Nólsoy is an island in central Faroe Islands, located to the east of the capital Tórshavn in Streymoy. There is only one settlement on the island: Nólsoy on the north-west coast on Stongin, a peninsula attached to the rest of the island by a metres-wide isthmus. There is also one mountain Høgoyggj, the highest point is called Eggjarklettur (371 m) and Nólsoy is the lowest of the Faroese isles. Nólsoy has the world's largest colony of storm petrels. 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 trading monopoly.

Nólsoy was the home of Nólsoyar-Páll or Poul Nolsøe, a Faroese national hero for his poetry, efforts to stop the trading monopoly and for starting modern Faroese seamanship.

Another hero is Ove Joensen, who rowed from the Faroes to Copenhagen in 1986. The annual civic festival Ovastevna on Nólsoy is held to commemorate him.

[edit] Nólsoy on Faroese stamps

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

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 61°59′04″N, 6°39′02″W