The Information Centre í Nólsoy Welcome to Nólsoy
The Corn Valley and the Princess Ruins People lived in the Corn Valley from around 1300 to the middle of 1700. The ruins from the settlement can still be seen. One of the ruins is called the Princess Ruin and according to a legend a Scottish princess and her fiancé fled from her father, king in Scotland, who didn’t want his daughter to marry a man of the people. They sailed towards north, came to Nólsoy and settled down there. Several years later the king got news of where his daughter was and sailed to the Faroe Islands in order to kill them. But when he saw how well they were doing and met his lovely grandchild, he changed his mind and forgave his daughter. The legend about the settlement in the Corn Valley was written by Pól Nolsøe in Varðin, volume 10. The author Oddvør Johansen has reproduced the legend about the Scottish princess in the children’s book ”Kongsdótturin í Nólsoy” (1996). (1996).
Ove Joensen’s boat
The old warehouse
The House by the Well
On 1st of July 1986 Ove Joensen left from the harbour of Tórshavn in his specially built rowing boat, Diana Victoria, and set off rowing to Denmark. This was his third attempt. Twice earlier he had to lay up in Shetland, but stubborn as he was he tried once more. After rowing 900 nautical miles and 41 days he became world famous as he came alongside Langelinie in Copenhagen. Lots of people came to greet him and others watched him on TV as he kissed the Little Mermaid. On his return to the Faroe Islands a great reception was held to celebrate his achievements.
The old warehouse was built in 1902. It is an old village shop with a counter just inside the door and shop shelves on the hind wall. The shop is from the time when sugar and flour were sold in loose weight, soap was transported in barrels and sweets were sold in paper screws.
This old house was built in late 1600. It was originally made from driftwood, but the eastern end of the house was made from a log of pinewood from Pommern in Germany, that was bought at an action held over the so-called ”Saksun Ship” that sunk outside Saksun in 1828. ”Old Jacob” who bought the pinewood used three favourable currents at sea (36 hours) to transport the wood to Nólsoy and then made use of it.
Downstairs in the information centre you can visit a small museum made in memory of Ovi Joensen, e.g. the boat, Diana Victoria, that carried him on the long voyage to Denmark. You can visit the museum in arrangement with the information centre.
In this cosy old shop it is now possible to buy homemade goods made by the islanders, e.g. food, clothing and ornaments. Please ask at the Information Centre about opening hours.
The cooking-stove was bought by ”Old Jacob” in 1858, it was the first cooking-stove in the village and the first in the Faroe Islands too. The people in Nólsoy named the it ”the Cooking-machine.” Ten generations of the same family lived in the House by the Well for more than 300 years. The last inhabitant moved out in the 1980ies and in 1985 the house was listed as a conservation area and made into a village museum. Please ask at the Information Centre about opening hours.
www.visitnolsoy.fo