Skopun

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Skopun

Skopun [skopn] (Danish: Skopen) is a town in the Faroe Islands situated on the northern coast of Sandoy, Sand Island. Skopun is the second largest town on the island.

Population: 499 (December 31, 2002)
Postcode: FO 240
Municipality: Skopunar kommuna (The Municipality Skopun consists only of the town of Skopun.)

Although the area has been inhabited since the Middle Ages, Skopun was not founded until 1833. The people of Skopun did not possess any land. They subsisted on fishing so the houses are close to the water.

In 1897, Skopun's church was constructed out of timber taken from the old church of Vestmanna. The Faroe Islands' first road was built on Sandoy in 1918, connecting Skopun with Sandur, the island's main town, to the south. Skopun's harbor was built in 1926 and later extended. In 1982, the harbor was furnished with a gate which protects the dock from the sea. A 1988 hurricane destroyed the town's small forest.

A car ferry used to connect Skopun with the capital, Tórshavn. Today, the ferry goes to the newly constructed port of Gamlarætt, located on the south coast of Streymoy.