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Latrabjarg is a
14 km long, sheer cliff with an east-west direction on the northern
coastline of Iceland’s second largest bay, Breidafjordur.
The part of it called Bjargtangar is the westernmost part of
Iceland, and its highest
elevation is 444 metres.
The Azore Islands are, however, the westernmost part of Europe.
It is highly interesting to walk carefully along its brink to watch
the myriad of birds, the seals on the skerries down below, and the
occasional whales swimming by.
For centuries,
brave men were roped down the cliffs during the breeding season of the
avifauna to collect eggs, which were a regular part of the diet along
with the birds themselves. Sometimes as much as 40.000 eggs and 36.000
birds were taken.
Just before Christmas 1947 the miraculous rescue of the crew
of the British trawler Dhoon, which ran aground at the bottom of the
cliffs was carried out successfully, and will be remembered as the
most difficult rescue operation carried out up to this date. The
distance from the capital is about 347 km via Stykkisholmur and across
the Breidafiord Bay with the car ferry Baldur to Brjanslaekur. |