Skúvoy


Skúvoy or Skúgvoy is an island in the central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy.
It is named after the large number of great skua present on the island. There is only one settlement on the island: Skúvoy on the east coast. There are two mountains: Knúkur and Heyggjurin Mikli.

History

The Black Death in the 14th century killed all the inhabitants except one woman; her cottage can still be seen.
Skúvoy was also the home of Sigmundur Brestisson, the hero of the Færeyinga saga.

Bird habitat

There are 300–400 m cliffs along the west coast, which are home to many guillemots. Egg harvesting takes place in early June, though this occurs in the first week only so as to allow the guillemots to lay again. The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because of its significance as a breeding site for seabirds, especially northern fulmars, Manx shearwaters, European storm petrels, great skuas, Atlantic puffins, common guillemots and black guillemots, as well as 40 breeding pairs of Eurasian whimbrels.