Æðey
Æðey is an island located in the Westfjords region of Iceland. A höfuðból was built in the 19th century with a farm, with descendants of the family going to the house in the summer to maintain the farm. Other structures include a lighthouse and a weather station owned by the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
The island is home to multiple species of birds such as the common eider, with its feathers being harvest by the family that resides on the island. Mammals such as sheep can be found on the island though are often shipped to the mainland to not disturb the eider and puffin population.
Geography
Æðey is the biggest of the four islands located on the biggest bay of the Westfjords, being located in Ísafjarðardjúp. The island is separated by of water away from Ísafjörður. It is long and wide, with its highest point being above sea level. The island is vegetated.History
In 1615, some Basque whalers were whaling and had crashed in Strandir. Five of the whalers traveled to Æðey and settled there. After the magistrate of Ísafjörður,, had found out about the whalers on the island, he ordered a fleet of ships to go to the island. All of the whalers on the island were killed by the forces.Structures and demographics
A höfuðból was built in the 19th century on the island by married couple Guðmundur Rósinkarsson and Guðrún Jónsdóttir. After Rósinkarsson's death in 1906, the couple's children: Ásgeir, Halldór, and Sigríður, inherited the house and ran the farm alongside their mother. As of 2019, the descendants of the family reside in the house every summer to rear cattle, geese and sheep, and harvest eiderdown.A lighthouse was built on the island in 1944, though it was not active until 1949 due to lighting material shortages during World War II. It is located on the southern tip of the island and measures high. There is a weather station on the island owned by the Icelandic Meteorological Office. In 2010, the island had one resident named Ólafur Ragnarson. He was a worker at the weather station and monitored the weather data. The station was made automatic in 2012.