Skopun

Skopun
Municipality and village

Location of Skopunar kommuna in the Faroe Islands
Skopun

Location of Skopun village in the Faroe Islands

Coordinates: 61°54′45″N 6°52′19″W / 61.91250°N 6.87194°W
State  Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country  Faroe Islands
Island Sandoy
Founded 1833
Population (1 January 2006)
 • Total 484
Time zone GMT
 • Summer (DST) EST (UTC+1)
Postal code FO 240
Website Skopun

Skopun (pronounced [skopn]) 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. Skopunar kommuna, the Municipality of Skopun, consists only of the town of Skopun.

History

Although the area has been inhabited since the Middle Ages, Skopun was not founded until 1833.[1] 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 1917,[2] as part of a government-financed plan to improve the island's non-existent harbour facilities. It connects Skopun with Sandur, the island's main town. 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.

See also

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Wylie, Jonathan (1987). The Faroe Islands: Interpretations of History. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 120. ISBN 0-8131-1578-7.
  2. ↑ Proctor, James (2008). Faroe Islands. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 136. ISBN 1-84162-224-9.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Skopun.

Coordinates: 61°54′45″N 6°52′19″W / 61.91250°N 6.87194°W