The church in Flatey Island in Skjálfandi Bay was built in 1897 in Brettingsstaðir in Flateyjardalur. It was moved in parts on rowboats across the strait to Flatey in 1957, after the settlement in Flateyjardalur was deserted. It has been a certified historic building since 2012. The population in Flatey was at its largest in 1943 when 120 people lived there. The last family moved away from the island only 25 years later, in 1967, and it has been deserted ever since. Flatey is only 2.5 km / 1.5 mi from land and rises highest 22 m / 72 ft where the lighthouse stands. The island is 2.62 Km2 / 1.00 Sq Miles in size. A few well maintained large houses are on the island, such as the church that stands here on a hill above the harbour.
Flatey 16/07/2021 10:36 24mm
Photograph and text : Páll Stefánsson