Vigur Island
Vigur is a small island about 2 kilometres long in Ísafjarðardjúp fjord in the Westfjords of Iceland, home to one of Iceland's largest concentrations of breeding seabirds and five permanent residents, a farming family who have worked the island for six generations. Around 100,000 Atlantic puffins nest on and around Vigur during breeding season from June to August, alongside approximately 7,000 eider ducks, Europe's largest known colony of black guillemots, and a substantial Arctic tern colony. The eider duck population supports a centuries-old eiderdown harvesting tradition in which the family collects down from vacated nests by hand without disturbing the birds. Vigur also holds Iceland's only surviving windmill, built in 1840, and the country's oldest seaworthy rowboat, an 8-oar vessel still in use. Access is by boat tour from Ísafjörður, approximately 30 to 45 minutes each way.
A Tiny Westfjords Island with Five Residents, 100,000 Puffins, and a Centuries-Old Tradition of Harvesting Eiderdown Without Harming a Single Duck
Vigur is the second-largest island in Ísafjörður Bay, sitting in the broad Ísafjarðardjúp fjord about 30 nautical miles south of the Arctic Circle. Its human population has been small throughout its recorded history, and today five members of one farming family are the island's only permanent residents. The family's tenure on Vigur spans six generations. The island is 2 kilometres long and roughly 400 metres wide, with flat terrain, a small farmhouse dating to the mid-19th century, outbuildings, and historic structures including the 1840 windmill. The windmill is the last surviving example in Iceland and was used to grind grain for the island's farm. The oldest seaworthy rowing boat in Iceland, an 8-oar vessel, is also kept on Vigur and remains in use. The island's position in a sheltered fjord surrounded by mountains gives it a calm, enclosed atmosphere that contrasts with the exposed character of the outer Westfjords coast.
The birdlife on Vigur is exceptional in both scale and accessibility. Around 100,000 Atlantic puffins nest in burrows across the island during the breeding season from roughly June to mid-August, and the marked walking paths bring visitors within a few metres of active nests. Arctic terns nest in large numbers and are the most interactive birds on the island in the most direct sense: they dive at visitors who pass near their nests with genuine determination, and a hat or raised hand is recommended during the nesting period. The eider ducks are the most economically significant species: approximately 7,000 breeding pairs nest on Vigur and the female ducks line their nests with their own down, which the farming family collects by hand after the ducklings have hatched and left. This process does not disturb or harm the birds and has been practiced on the island for centuries. Eiderdown is among the finest natural insulators in existence and commands a high market price.
Vigur is accessible only by guided boat tour from Ísafjörður harbour, operated by West Tours, with the crossing taking 30 to 45 minutes each way. Tours operate from June to August and include a walk around the island with a guide, a demonstration of the eiderdown harvesting process, and refreshments at the farmhouse served by the resident family. The total tour duration is approximately three hours. Advance booking is recommended as tours have limited capacity. The island has no road access and no facilities beyond the farmhouse. Visitors should bring waterproof and windproof clothing regardless of forecast conditions. Ísafjörður is the largest town in the Westfjords with flights from Reykjavík taking around 45 minutes, making Vigur accessible as a day trip from the capital with an early flight.
