vegaøyan world heritage
Omnøy
Omnøy is the only one the island in the World Heritage area that is still inhabited. The name of the island probably derives from the male name Amund. Amundøen was the island called in the 17th century, later it became Omnøy The settlement may date back to the 14th century, and the first written information about the 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 there were three farms registered on the island : The Farm, the Hill and the Neck. Omnøy belonged to the Tjøtta farm until 1913.
There were several shore sitters under Omnøya. Storøya has been inhabited by a single family. They engaged in fishing for roach and shelling and also had income from day labor. The place was vacated around 1960 and the house was burned. On Slåtterøya there were three farms that were shore sitters under Omnøy On Gardsøyskjæret there was a herring salting plant until 1901.
Omnøy first received a regular boat connection in the 1940s and retained it until well into the 1950s. Before this, farmers had a difficult time transporting their milk to the dairy in Sandnessjøen.
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Source
“ Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural History Travel Book .” by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.