Living in the North
© Living in the North, Grimsey Island 2013
North Iceland. The area is a relatively densely populated agricultural region with a few hamlets and villages. The landscape is varied with differently large mountain ranges dividing the lowland areas. Driftwood has played an important role in this otherwise woodless country ever since it was settled. Island Grimsey is the northernmost inhabited part of Iceland. It has an area of 5,3 km² and is situated 41 km north of the main island. The Arctic Circle crosses it and the sun does not set there at summer solstice. The plateau Melrakkasletta (Arctic Fox Plain) is the northernmost part of the mainland, almost on the arctic circle and closest to the midnight sun. The area abounds in many species of breeding and visiting birds, a real paradise for birdwatchers, especially north of the village.