The lone white house is located on the green Elliðaey island in the Vestmannaeyjar sea in southern Iceland in the middle of the immense sea. This image has earned the house the nickname ‘world’s loneliest’.
Elliðaey Island (also known as Ellirey) is of interest to international tourists due to the presence of a single house
The Vestmannaeyjar Islands consist of a cluster of small islands off the southern coast of Iceland. Elliðaey Island (or Ellirey) is located in the northeast of this island cluster, where there is a lost house amidst the immense green carpet.
This place has been uninhabited since 1930, making the house even more mysterious.
There are many rumors and theories about the “lonely house” on the island of Elliðaey floating around online. For example, this place was built by an eccentric businessman with the purpose of a doomsday shelter, or this is the property of a fanatic.
The most popular rumor is that singer Bjork wanted to build a resort and private recording studio on a remote island, so he negotiated with the Icelandic government in the early 2000s.
However, in reality, singer Bjork had no such intention. She briefly discussed with the Icelandic government the use of another island, with a similar name to Elliðaey. After that, she canceled the project because of negative reactions from the press.
In fact, Elliðaey Island was once home to five Icelandic families three centuries ago. According to The Vintage News, they live by catching fish, raising cattle and hunting albatrosses – the island’s signature animal.
The albatross is a bird endemic to the island of Elliðaey
In the 1930s, the island was completely abandoned when the entire population returned to the mainland in search of a better life. However, some residents have returned to the island periodically to hunt.
More than 20 years later, the Elliðaey Hunting Association decided to build a house on the island as a place to live and hunt albatross for its members.
Because of its remote location, the house has no electricity or water. However, it does have a sauna, powered by a rainwater storage system, and is fenced around even though no one lives there.
Elliðaey Island is considered a national nature reserve, becoming the home of many typical seabird species of Iceland. If anyone wants to come here to admire the natural beauty of this place, tour companies operating in the Vestmannaejar archipelago offer day trips.
Today, Elliðaey Island is likened to a paradise of puffins and birds. This is the main nesting area for stormbirds and other seabirds.
Before the pandemic, tour companies operating on the Vestmannaejar archipelago were still selling day tours to the island of Elliðaey. If you want to stay in the house, you must be a member of a hunting association, or a close friend of one of the members.
