The Truth Behind Iceland’s Most Secluded House

The Truth Behind Iceland’s Most Secluded House

Off the coast of Iceland there’s one particular island upon which is built a single, solitary house. It is a house that looks like the sort the Dursleys could have hidden Harry Potter for his 11th birthday.

Over the years, photos of this house — some snapped from airplanes, most from boats — have circulated around various blogs. And as people have glimpsed the digital images of the abode’s stark setting and seemingly impossible seclusion, internet gossip about the place has mounted.

So, let’s start by dispensing with some misconceptions. Here’s some of what the house is not:

It is not located on Iceland’s third largest island. It was not a gift by the government of Iceland to its most famous pop star, Bjork. The house is not a hoax created using PhotoShop. And it is not inhabited by a secretive billionaire, nor by a religious hermit, nor by a paranoid recluse intent on surviving a coming zombie apocalypse.

In fact, technically, it is not a house at all.

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iceland puffing hunting lodge The Truth Behind Icelands Most Secluded House follow me on pinterest button The Truth Behind Icelands Most Secluded House The structure in question is on the Island of Elliðaey. Or, rather, it’s on an Island of Elliðaey. Iceland, confusingly, has two islands by that name. One is in the west of the country (and is home to a property owned by Bjork). The other Elliðaey Island — the one with the lonely-looking residence — is part of the Westman archipelago (Vestmannaeyjar in Icelandic) off of Iceland’s southern coast.

Three hundred years ago, Elliðaey was inhabited by five families. They lived there in huts and survived by fishing and raising cattle on the island’s grassy pasture — and by hunting puffins

Over the next two centuries, sustaining a community on Elliðaey became increasingly impractical and unappealing (to say nothing of inbred). People started to leave; sometime in the 1930s, the last permanent residents of Elliðaey moved away.

The island’s former residents found that Iceland had many places more economical than Elliðaey from which to fish and raise cattle. But, as it turned out, there weren’t too many better places for hunting puffins. So, in the early 1953, the Elliðaey Hunting Association built a lodge on the island for its members to use during their commando puffin missions.

It is this structure, the hunting lodge, that captures the imagination of photographers today. The lodge has no electricity, broadband internet (oh, the horror!) or indoor plumbing. This being Iceland, the lodge does have a sauna. The water for the sauna — and for less important tasks, such as cooking and drinking — comes from a rainwater collection system. The lodge, oddly, is surrounded by a fence, perhaps to keep the puffins from launching a counter attack.

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Visiting Vestmannaeyjar and Elliðaey Island

Unless you happen to be a member of the Elliðaey Hunting Association or are friends with some one who is (what are the odds?) you can’t stay in the lodge. But you can visit Elliðaey on a boat tour from the main island of Heimaey. The Rib-Safari tour company will not only boat you around the islands of the Westman archipelago but also prepare for you a barbeque meal en route!

The Westman Islands, not incidentally, are a wonderful place to visit for a slice of rural Iceland life. Though Vestmannaeyjar is relatively easy to get to (there’s a car ferry, or you can fly from Reykjavík in about 20 minutes), the islands have an off-the-beaten-track feel. Vestmannaeyjar offers hiking and climbing opportunities, several historical sights and even a golf course. But the main attraction is the rich abundance of bird and marine life. We are epsecially fond of the islands’ puffins. But please, cool hunting lodge or no, we’d rather people stick to shooting these cute little birds with a camera.

published: 23 Oct 2012
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  There’s nothing wrong with your screen. That character between the I and the A is an Icelandic letter that’s pronounced like the “th” in English. The name of the island is often transliterated as “Ellidaey.” Being in a particularly quirky mood at the time of writing, Spot Cool Stuff has decided to use the Icelandic spelling for this post.

  Maybe they’d let you stay if you offered to build them a zip line — few places look like it could use one more.

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Related cool travel ideas from Spot Cool Stuff:

The Icelandic Phallological Museum
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Responses

  1. Bianca Goodnight says:

    Why would anyone hunt these birds.Do they eat them?.

    [Reply to this comment]

    Mort Reply:

    Sadly, when I was in Iceland earlier this year, I saw puffins on restaurant menus, alongside whales and sharks. They are catering to tourists wanting to sample “exotic” local fare. I boycotted ALL restaurants which served whale, shark or puffin (aka Lundi) while visiting Iceland. According to Elding, a great Icelandic eco whale watching tour, only 5% of the whales killed in Iceland are consumed by locals and 40% by tourists looking for a kick. I saw several on my tour trying to photograph these magnificent creatures, only to later spot them that evening dining on one…

    [Reply to this comment]

  2. kjartan says:

    -Björk does not own property in Elliðaey on the west of Iceland.
    -There’s a generator for electricity and indoor plumbing.
    -The fence is to keep the sheeps out of the property.
    -Puffins aren’t shot, they’re hunted with what the locals call “háfur”.

    [Reply to this comment]

  3. Tim McSwain says:


    Twitter:
    I quoted this page and gave you a back link on by travel blog, Zombie Getaways, today. Check it out and share if you like what I wrote. – Tim

    http://www.zombiegetaways.com/

    [Reply to this comment]

    Spot Cool Travel Stuff Reply:

    Thanks for letting us know, Tim. Cool idea for a site that you have.

    ~ SCS

    [Reply to this comment]

  4. Mayank says:

    That is simply breathtaking. The view is amazing and on top of that a lodge in the middle of nowhere.
    Mayank recently posted..History of the Official FIFA World Cup Match BallsMy Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  5. A World to Travel says:


    Twitter:
    We love the idea of writing a post about a single house! 🙂 Just great
    A World to Travel recently posted..Around Iceland in less than 48 hoursMy Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

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