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Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.
Lofoten (Norse Lófót) was originally the old name of the island Vestvågøya. The first element is ló (i.e., "lynx") and the last element is derived from Norse fótr (i.e., "foot"), as the shape of the island must have been compared with a foot of a lynx. (The old name of the neighbouring island Flakstadøya was Vargfót, "the foot of a wolf", from vargr "wolf". See also Ofoten.)
"There is evidence of human settlement extending back at least 11,000[ yrs in Lofoten, and] the earliest archaeological sites ... are only about 5,500 yrs old, at the transition from the early to late Stone Age." Iron Age agriculture, livestock, and significant human habitation can be traced back to ~250 BC.
The town of Vågan (Norse Vágar) is the first known town formation in northern Norway. It existed in the early Viking Age, maybe earlier, and was located on the southern coast on eastern Lofoten, near today's village Kabelvåg in Vågan municipality. However, the Lofotr Viking Museum with the reconstructed 83-meter-long longhouse (the largest known) is located near Borg on Vestvågøy, which have many archeological finds from the Iron Age and Viking Age.
The islands have for more than 1,000 years been the centre of great cod fisheries, especially in winter, when the cod migrates south from the Barents Sea and gathers in Lofoten to spawn. Bergen in southwestern Norway was for a long time the hub for further export south to large parts of Europe, particularly so when trade was controlled by the Hanseatic League. In the lowland areas, particularly Vestvågøy, agriculture plays a significant role, as it has done since the Bronze Age.
Lofotr was originally the name of the island of Vestvågøy only. Later it became the name of the chain of islands. The chain of islands with its pointed peaks looks like a lynx foot from the mainland. In Norwegian, it is always a singular. Another name one might come across, is "Lofotveggen" or the Lofoten wall. The archipelago looks like a closed wall when seen from elevated points around Bodø or when arriving from the sea, some 100 km long, and 800-1,000 m. high.
In 1941 the islands were raided by British Commandos during Operation Claymore in March and a subsequent diversionary attack to support the Vaagso raid in December.
Lofoten is located at the 68th and 69th parallels north of the Arctic Circle in North Norway. It is well known for its natural beauty within Norway. Lofoten encompasses the municipalities of Vågan, Vestvågøy, Flakstad, Moskenes, Værøy, and Røst. The principal islands, running from north to south, are
Southern tip of Hinnøya.
Southern 60% (approx.) of Austvågøy (526.7 km² in total 68°20′N 14°40′E),
Gimsøy (46.4 km² 68°18′N 14°11′E),
Vestvågøy (411.1 km² 68°10′N 13°45′E),
Flakstadøya (109.8 km² 68°5′N 13°20′E),
Moskenesøya (185.9 km² 67°55′N 13°0′E),
whilst further to the south are the small and isolated islands of Værøy (67°40′N 12°40′E) and Røst (67°37′N 12°7′E). The total land area amounts to 1,227 km², and the population totals 24,500. Many will argue that Hinnøya, the northern part of Austvågøy and several hundred smaller islands, skerries and rocks to the east of Austvågøy are also part of the Lofoten complex. Historically the territorial definition of Lofoten has changed significantly. Between the mainland and the Lofoten archipelago lies the vast, open Vestfjorden, and to the north is Vesterålen. The principal towns in Lofoten are Leknes in Vestvågøy and Svolvær in Vågan. The Lofoten Islands are characterised by their mountains and peaks, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. The highest mountain in Lofoten is Higravstinden (1,161 m / 3,800 ft) in Austvågøy; the Møysalen National Park just northeast of Lofoten has mountains reaching 1,262 meters. The famous Moskstraumen (Malstrøm) system of tidal eddies is located in western Lofoten, and is indeed the root of the term maelstrom.
The sea is rich with life, and the world's largest deep water coral reefis located west of Røst. Lofoten has a very high density of sea eagles and cormorants, and millions of other sea birds, among them the colourful puffin. Otters are common, and there are moose on the largest islands. There are some woodlands with Downy birch and Rowan. There are no native conifer forests in Lofoten, but some small areas with private spruce plantations. Sorbus hybrida ("Rowan whitebeam") and Malus sylvestris occur in Lofoten, but not further north.
The animals mistaken as the extinct Great Auk turned out to be some of the nine King penguins released around Norway’s Lofoten Islands in August 1936, there until at least 1944.
Winter temperatures in Lofoten are very mild considering their location north of the Arctic Circle – Lofoten has the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude. This is a result of the Gulf Stream and its extensions: the North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Current. Røst and Værøy are the most northerly locations in the world where average temperatures are above freezing all year. May and June are the driest months, while October has three times as much precipitation. The warmest recording in Svolvær is 30.4°C (87°F).
Strong winds can occur in late autumn and winter. Snow and sleet are not uncommon in winter, the mountains can have substantial amounts of snow, and in some winters, avalanches might come down from steep mountain slopes. Two of the top ten deadliest rainstorms ever recorded passed through Lofoten.
In Svolvær, the sun is above the horizon continuously ("midnight sun") from 25 May to 17 July, and in winter the sun does not rise from 4 December to 7 January. In Leknes, the sun is above the horizon from 26 May to 17 July, and in winter the sun does not rise from 9 December to 4 January.
The temperature in the sea has been recorded since 1935. At 1 m depth in the sea near Skrova, water temperatures varies from a low of 3°C in March to 14°C in August. Some years peaking above 17°C. November is around 7-8°C. At a depth of 200 m the temperature is near 8°C all year.
Mountaineering and rock climbing
Lofoten offers many rock climbing and mountaineering opportunities. It has 24 hours of daylight in the summer and has Alpine-style ridges, summits and glaciers, but at a height of less than 1,200 metres. The main centre for rock climbing is Henningsvær on Austvågøya.
The main areas for mountaineering and climbing are on Austvågøya and Moskenesøya. Moskenesøya is the most complete area for climbing. For more information, see the books by Dyer and Webster.
Surfing
Unstad is one of its better known locations for surfing.
Cycling
There is a well marked cycling route that goes from Å in the south and continues past Fiskebøl in the north. The route is part public road, part cycle-path with the option to bypass all of the tunnels by either cycle-path (tunnels through mountains) or boat. Traffic is generally light, although in July there may be a lot of campervans. Some of the more remote sections are on gravel roads. There is a dedicated cycling ferry which sails between Ballstad and Nusfjord, allowing cyclists to avoid the long, steep Nappstraum tunnel. The route hugs the coastline for most of its length where it is generally flat. As it turns inland through the mountain passes there are a couple of 3-400 meter climbs.
The Lofoten Insomnia Cycling Race takes place every year around midsummer, possible in the midnight sun, but surely in 24-hr daylight, along the whole Lofoten archipelago.
"Tvoja riječ je nozi mojoj svjetiljka i svjetlo mojoj stazi"...
Iako je okolo tama... u ljudima, u okolnostima, manjim ili većim dijelom i u nama... Uvijek postoji svjetlo u koje se možemo zagledati i hodati naprijed. Gledaj naunutra i tu ćeš naći sve što trebaš. I slušaj glas iz svoje biti, onaj najtiši od svih glasova, onaj koji nije nametljiv... i uvijek ćeš čuti istinu. Gledaj i slušaj naunutra.
Paddle Steamer Waverley calls at Greenock's Custom House Quay before heading back up river to Glasgow on the Saturday of the last weekend for the 2015 Season.
©eb2010
Do not use this image without my permission.
Paddle Steamer Waverley passing Port PS Waverley passing Port Glasgow on her first commercial trip Doon the Watter in 2014.
A model of the very sleek Clyde paddle steamer PS Iona at the Glasgow Transport Museum, 2 March 2007. She was built in 1863 of iron by J&G Thompson, Glasgow for Hutcheson & McBrayne for the Glasgow – Rothesay service. The Iona measured 250 ft x 25 ft x 9 ft, weighed 368 tons gross and had a 180 nhp J&G Thompson steam engine, giving her a maximum speed of 24 kts. She was a very fast ship and, with the American Civil War raging, she was bought in late 1863 by a David McNutt who was acting on behalf of a Charles H Bostier of Richmond, Virginia for use as a blockade runner for the Confederacy. She completed one voyage to Nassau carrying coal but on her second she soon encountered bad gales and turned back for Milford Haven, leaking badly but before she got there she sunk off Lundy Island in 1864.