Lånan is the largest egg and down collection in the Vegaøyan World Heritage Area, with five birdwatcher families who in 2020 made almost 1200 nests and collected down from 743 nesting eiders. They live on Lånan from April to mid-August and in recent years a new residential building and a holiday home have been built there.

Lånan consists of several islands , islets and reefs. There has been settlement here for many hundreds of years. At most, eight families lived in Lånan They engaged in home fishing, Lofoten fishing and eventually ruse fishing, in addition to cultivating the land and keeping livestock. There has been a post office on the island .

History of the loan

Lånan has been a tenant farm under Tjøtta. The tenant paid the rent with eggs and down. In the 17th century, three farmers lived on Lånan The 1865 census recorded 31 people at the islands In 1913 the Tjøtta estate was dissolved, and Petter Johnsen in Lånan became freehold at a price of 2200 kroner. In the 1960s, 60 people lived on the island , eight families spread over seven houses. the island received electricity via submarine cable in 1964. In 1980 the last resident moved from Lånan .

During World War II, people participated in Lånan active in the resistance work, and the island was an important link in the illegal transport of weapons from England. Lånan was also a hiding place for the young man Asbjørn Schultz, one of the few survivors of the bombing of the prisoner ship Rigel.

Egg and eiderdown islands

The five landowners who operate eiderdown traditions has established the company Utværet Lånan AS and offers guided tours and experiences. In the summer of 2019 there were two weekly tours from Vega to Lånan . birdtenders’ products are sold via their website and at Vega World Heritage Center. Would you like to read more about Lånan and Utværet Lånan AS, you can visit their website here .

Bird life and vegetation

Lånan is protected as a nature reserve and bird sanctuary. The birdlife is rich, with several species of resting migratory birds and nesting gulls, including the subspecies northern herring gull, ducks and geese. Black-backed gulls, terns and redshanks are other characteristic species.

Lånan has a very rich flora with many lime-demanding species as well as rare swamp and aquatic plants. Sea buckthorn, worm's tongue and several species of orchids can be found in some of the old meadows, Iceland cress and reed species in the depressions and ponds. The soil here, as elsewhere in the island, has been built up over generations by laying down seaweed. The meadow vegetation is today very overgrown, and in many places the soil has eroded away as a result of cessation of use.

The purpose of the nature reserve is to safeguard a nationally valuable coastal area, with the naturally associated plant and animal life. Particular value is attached to the area as a resting place for barnacle geese on spring migration, as a nesting, breeding and wintering area for seabirds and to the presence of special plant species/plant communities. The purpose of the bird conservation areas is to preserve good and undisturbed breeding and staging areas for seabirds.

Traffic in the area

Vegetation on land and in fresh water is protected against all forms of damage and destruction. New plant and animal species may not be introduced. Animal and bird life with nesting sites and vegetation that is important for the bird's habitat is protected against all damage and destruction. Dogs must be kept on a leash and should be kept away from the islands during the breeding season. From April 15th to July 31st, there is a ban on land travel in the nature reserve (i.e. outside the main island with a settlement, which is a bird sanctuary).

Respect privacy and show consideration for animal and plant life. Follow paths and marked trails when moving in the landscape. Remember that the use of open fire is prohibited except on the shore. Do not leave rubbish!

Want to know more?

Following this link will take you to a page with further recommended reading.

Source

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