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The
sheer cliffs of Latrabjarg
are about 14 km long and the highest point rises 444 m above sea level.
To the north are three wide coves, Latravik, Breidavik and
Kollsvik respectively, with white scallop beaches, green lowland areas
and interesting history.
Cove Kollsvik is the most isolated, but still there are some
traces of old fishing outfits there.
Cove Breidavik is in the middle and opens up to the passers by on
their way from Orlygshofn
to Latrabjarg.
A guesthouse has been operated there for a few years and prior to
that, there was an educational establishment for teenagers.
Breidavik is also a church
site.
Cove Latravik is the southernmost one and the community there was
the westernmost of Europe, but nowadays the houses are only occupied
during summer.
Ruins of fishing outfits of past are still very obvious and many
travellers take a look at an old sheep shed to inspect the old
construction methods.
The Catholic bishop Gudmundur the Good blessed one of the
freshwater well there as he did all over the country.
Many
legends tell us about elves, ogres, monsters and ghost in the Outer
Coves Area.
People there saw the vessels of the elves off the coast and
fought monsters and ghosts in the past.
The most infamous ghosts were The Skipper in the corridor, Pilli,
Dalli and the bun belt.
When
the British trawler Dhoon ran aground in terrible weather conditions at
the foot of the Latrabjarg cliffs on December 12th 1947, the
rescue control centre was at farm Hvallatrar (Latrar) in Latravik.
Twelve men were rescued under the most difficult circumstances
imaginable and four drowned.
Another British trawler ran aground near the headland Hafnarmuli
on the Patrek’s Bay the next year and the film producer Oskar Gislason
filmed the rescue operation.
Later he used this film to produce the film “The Rescue Deed at
Latrabjarg”. |