Settlement

Discoveries from the Neolithic period have been made in Søla . In more recent times, there has probably been settlement here before the Black Death (1350). House plots at Harphaugen, south of the island , may indicate that the first farm was located here. After the Black Death, the island remained deserted until the 16th century. Then a farm was established in the sheltered and fertile cove northwest of the island Here we have Søla families lived there for generations. Before 1900 there were two residential houses in Søla After the turn of the century, two families lived in the large farmhouse, which still stands there. Søla -the children went to school at Valla on Vega after 1900. In 1970 the last residents moved from Søla Today is the island used as a holiday home. The barn has been demolished, but the farmhouse has been restored and the owners have built five cabins.

Industrial base

Søla had about 40 acres of cultivated land and there was good pasture land on the island The livestock has always been larger than what was usual on the other the islands . The farm had six to eight cows and young cattle, a horse, a bull and a pig. They also kept chickens, and sold the eggs at Vega. They also grew a lot of potatoes, annual production was 200-300 boxes of 40 kilos, which were sold at the other the islands

Fishing took place around the island and in Lofoten in the seasons. Fishermen from Vega stayed in the house or in a rorbu that was set up by fishermen from Viksås on Vega. In Sølasundet there has always been good herring fishing.

the island is an old copper mine. We can still see the ring walls on Søla and on Sulingen, places where hunters lay in hiding and scouted for seals and otters. On the main island there are also stone walls that were used in connection with eagle hunting.

Søla once had Europe's northernmost wild goat tribe. In the 1930s, the tribe numbered 40 animals. To prevent inbreeding, the owners imported goats. The goats were hunted, and the meat was a good addition to the diet. The tribe died out in the 1960s-70s after the authorities refused to release new goats.

Snow values

Søla is part of Hysvær / Søla landscape conservation area. The conservation area encompasses a large island area consisting of the large archipelago Hysvær and Søla The landscape conservation area is very diverse, Hysvær consists of a series of flat, grassy islands , while Søla with its 432 m. stands in stark contrast to this. There are also great variations in relation to the bedrock. While in Hysvær is a large proportion of calc-mica schist which provides rich vegetation, there is granite and much poorer vegetation on Søla .

Hysvær and Søla are two of the areas in Vegaøyan where there has been the longest continuity in terms of grazing and traditional haymaking , and there is still active farming in the area. This has meant that the landscape here is less characterised by overgrowth species such as meadowsweet than other archipelagos. There are no guided boat trips to Søla , but the landowners have a dock on the north side where visitors can dock. Voluntary dock fee, but visitors are encouraged to make a contribution to the maintenance of the dock.

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Source

“ Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural History Travel Book .” by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.