On a pristine island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the coast of Iceland, a small white house has stood on a lush green hillside for many years. With a scenery reminiscent of classic detective films, rumors have perpetually surrounded this mysterious little house.
Isolated amidst endless green grass and continuously listening to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, this house is dubbed the place at the edge of the Earth. It is located on Elliðaey Island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago of Iceland, and for a long time, many articles have questioned the inhabitants of this island.
Indeed, anyone who has never heard the story and then sees a picture of this lonely house is bound to have a series of questions: Who could possibly live there? How do they go about their daily life? Where do they get food? Do they suffer from loneliness living in such a desolate place?
The small house quietly sits on the lonely Elliðaey Island. (Photo: Christopher Lynn).
One of the most common rumors relates to Icelandic pop star from the early 2000s – singer Björk. According to The Independent, the renowned vocalist used her influence to request the government to allow the construction of a house with a studio on Elliðaey Island – a place where she could peacefully retreat after her busy performances.
However, this hypothesis was incorrect. According to Australian news outlet news.com.au, while Björk did request to be allocated an island, she quickly retracted her proposal due to criticism from local media. Ironically, the island Björk wished to claim was also named Elliðaey, but it was merely a coincidence.
Singer Björk.
Nevertheless, other rumors continued to arise like waves crashing onto Elliðaey Island. Clearly, apart from the small white house, there are no other residents on this island. If not a celebrity wanting to escape the limelight, who else would want to set foot here?
Netizens even speculate that the house belongs to an eccentric billionaire who built it as a refuge for the apocalypse! Others suggest that the house was constructed based on the beliefs of a mysterious cult. Those less imaginative assert that the image of Elliðaey Island is merely a Photoshop creation, and there is no house at all.
In the novel “The Island,” author Ragnar Jonasson uses Elliðaey Island as the setting for a murder mystery.
The mysteries surrounding the house on Elliðaey Island have existed for a long time, quickly spreading throughout the 2000s and were only fully unraveled in 2015 by news.com.au. However, few know that the truth about this “lonely house” is far from what people imagine.
According to information from many residents of the nearest mainland, Elliðaey once had several families living there for over a hundred years since the 18th century but was abandoned in the 1930s.
In the past, the island’s inhabitants were quite brave as they faced harsh nature and extreme solitude. They relied entirely on fishing and hunting puffins for food.
Puffins are used to prepare many famous local dishes in Iceland.
By the 1930s, the last five residents on the island decided they could no longer stay. Life on the island was indeed free and easy, but returning to the mainland promised a broader future. Thus, the dilapidated houses on Elliðaey were left behind and soon fell victim to nature’s wrath.
So, where did the small but sturdy white house on Elliðaey come from? In fact, it was built around the 1950s, some 20 years after the island was abandoned, by the Elliðaey Hunting Association. Although living conditions on the island are very challenging for humans, it is a paradise for puffins, making it an ideal hunting ground.
The house is small compared to the island, and Elliðaey is tiny in the ocean. (Photo: zanthia, internet).
The house on Elliðaey has earned the title of the loneliest house in the world for all the reasons mentioned. And if you want to visit this island, it is certainly not a journey for the faint-hearted. It begins with a chilly boat ride across terrifying waves, which is still the easiest part of the journey. Brave tourists will have to leap from the boat onto the island’s slope to grab a rope. If you fail to grab that rope, you will surely sink into the frigid waters. Once you have caught the rope, you must carefully climb up the cliff face, which is nearly vertical.
Modern amenities during your stay will be virtually nonexistent as this lodge lacks electricity, plumbing, and heating systems. However, it does have a sauna supplied by a natural rainwater collection system. Food must be transported from the mainland, along with any other necessary supplies. Those staying on the island will also be affected by the maritime weather conditions, as there are very few sunny days here.
On the other hand, Elliðaey Island, besides being home to a dense population of puffins, provides shelter for many other seabird species. Therefore, Iceland has officially recognized the entire island as a government-protected nature reserve. Many travel organizations frequently offer day trips to explore Elliðaey Island. However, for the majority of the time, when there are no tourists or hunters, this island remains completely isolated and silent, devoid of any human presence. This is one of the most unique aspects that the people of Iceland cherish about Elliðaey and its white house.
With no inhabitants, Elliðaey Island is considered a national nature reserve, becoming a home for many seabird species. Visitors can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there is no one living in solitude in this house!
