vegaøyan world heritage
Skogsholmen
Skogsholmen is a large, hilly island , nine nautical miles north of Vega. The express boat between Sandnessjøen and Gardsøy (Vega) has a signal call here. Skogsholmen Guesthouses are open during the summer months, offering dining and accommodation. Legend has it that Skogsholmen was once covered in forest. The islet is said to have been devastated by a major fire after a lightning strike sometime in the 17th century. Today it is Skogsholmen lush with rich vegetation. In the 1960s, some Sitka spruce and pine were planted.
Settlement
According to written sources, the first people settled on Skogsholmen in the 17th century. Eight farms have been in operation on the island in recent times, with a total of about 30 cattle grazing. The cows were moved (swamped) to other islands (buoyers) in the summer. The women rowed from their homeland to the buoyers morning and evening to milk. In recent summers, farmers from Vega have had grazing animals on Skogsholmen .
The fishermen and farmers on Skogsholmen were active at sea. Most of the sea houses were clustered around the sheltered harbor south of the island , "Sørsy'n". Today there are no permanent residents on Skogsholmen , but most of the houses are used as holiday homes. The landowners cooperate in taking care of the buildings and landscape.
In 1890 a school was built on the island The materials are said to have come from the ship "Belle Alliance", which sank southwest of Flovær in 1886. Skogsholmen got a boarding school in 1940. The students, who came from the surrounding the islands , started school at the age of seven. In 1973 the school was closed, and the building is today Skogsholmen Guesthouse. You can read more at visitvega.no .
Vegetation
West side of the island and the mounds on the east side, not far from the quay, are calcareous hills and meadows with a rich botanical diversity. There are several species of orchids, worm's tongue, wild rose and other lime-demanding species here. Long-term fallowing led to extensive overgrowth of meadow vegetation and hayfields and arable land. This, together with some planted Sitka spruce and pine, led to major changes in the landscape with subsequent loss of cultural history and biodiversity. However, in recent years, the landowners have undertaken extensive and extensive management work and important parts of the cultural landscape in Skogsholmen is now traditional haymaking or pasture. Most of the sitka has also been removed and some landowners have begun work to remove planted scrub pine. However, the trees and shrubs that have grown up have provided the basis for a richer birdlife here than in many other places in the World Heritage Area. The ptarmigan is one of the species that breeds on the island
Traffic in the area
Show consideration when moving in the landscape. Show consideration for plant and animal life and respect privacy. Follow paths and marked trails. Remember that the use of open fire is prohibited except on the shore. Do not leave litter and respect the leash law.
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.