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Islands
Rifgirdingar almost close the mouth of the Hvammsfiord Bay.
Most islands and islets carry individual names.
By word of mouth the home island was not inhabited in the past,
but Islands Kjoey and Gautsey (Gussey) shared the advantages of
Rifgirdingar evenly until the home island was settled.
The farm stood on the Skjaldarvik Cove on the western part of the
island. Sometimes two or
three farms were inhabited on the islands.
Some water wells, which sometimes became saline, supplied the
drinking water. In 1702,
eleven people lived on the home island, keeping 9 heads of cattle and 50
sheep. Sixty years later 18
people lived at three farms on the islands.
Islands
Kjoeyjar are a part of the Rifgirdingar.
Between Island Nordurey and Gussey is the Nordureyjarsund
Channel. On the eastern
part of Gussey is the mound Vorduholl, which was and is used for the
navigation through the so-called Rost, where the current reaches 24
km/hour (about 13 nm/hour) with the tides.
Island Kjoey is to the southeast of Island Nordurey.
It is well vegetated and rather large.
Ruins of a farm and sod and stone fences are prominent on its
southeast. According to the legends, the Oxney-farm was originally on
Island Galtarey and Island Oxney was used for the grazing of oxen.
Later the farm became permanent on Island Oxney.
These
Islands were abandoned in 1974 and a holyday house now stands on Island
Galtarey (Boar Island). |