vegaøyan world heritage
Pleasure
Omnøy is the only island in the World Heritage Site that still has settlement. The name of the island probably derives from the male name Amund. Amundøen was the name of the island in the 17th century, later it became Omnøy. The settlement may date back to the 14th century, and the first written information about settlement is from 1521.
In the bailiff's census of 1664-66, four people are listed as residents of Omnøy; three farmers plus a servant. In 1907, three farms were registered on the island: Gården, Bakken and Nakken. Omnøy belonged to the Tjøtta farm until 1913.
There were several beachcombers under Omnøya. Storøya has been inhabited by a single family. They fished for fish and shells and also earned income from day labor. The site was vacated around 1960 and the house was burnt down. On Slåtterøya, there were three farms that were beach sitter farms under Omnøy. On Gardsøyskjæret there was a herring salting plant until 1901.
Omnøy first got a scheduled boat service in the 1940s and kept it until well into the 1950s. Prior to this, farmers had to endure arduous transportation to deliver their milk to the dairy in Sandnessjøen.
Want to know more?
By following this link you will be taken to a page with further recommended reading. .
Source
“ Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural History Travel Book .” by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.