Lighthouses of Northern Iceland

Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic roughly 800 km (500 mi) northwest of Scotland. Settled by Norse explorers around 870, Iceland has had a legislature since 930, but for most of its history it was under the control of the kings of Denmark. In 1918, Iceland was granted full autonomy, and in 1944 it declared its independence.

This age includes lighthouses of three of Iceland's eight regions: Vestfirðir (Northwest Fjords), Norðurland Vestra (the western north coast), and Norðurland Eystra (the eastern north coast).

In Icelandic, the word for a lighthouse is viti (plural vitar); ey is an island, nes is a cape, and höfn is a harbor. The Icelandic language preserves the old Norse letters "eth" (Ð and ð) and "thorn" (Þ and þ), which are pronounced with the softer and harder forms of the th sound, respectively.

Lighthouses in Iceland are regulated by the Icelandic Maritime Administration (Siglingastofnun), which also maintains and operates the major coastal lights. Local port authorities operate harbor lights.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. VIT numbers are from the Vitaskrá, the official Icelandic light list. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 115.

General Sources
Sjóminjasafn Íslands - Vitar: Posted by the Icelandic Maritime Museum (Sjóminjasafn Íslands), this site has small photos and historical notes for Iceland's lighthouses.
Isländische Leuchttürme: Photos of 70 Icelandic lighthouses by Klaus Huelse.
Lighthouse Pages from Anke and Jens - Iceland: Photos and accounts (in English).
Myndir frá Íslandi - Lighthouses: Photos of 25 Icelandic lighthouses by Jim Miller.
Lighthouses in Iceland: Photos available from Wikimedia.
Vitaskrá 2010: The official Icelandic light list can be downloaded in pdf format.
Vitar: Interactive map with lighthouse data from the Siglingastofnun. Slow-loading.
Icelandic Lighthouse Society (Íslenska Vitafélagið): An attractive web site with several photo galleries; primarily in Icelandic.

Grímsey Light, Norðurland Eystra, July 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Hilmar Thor Johannsson

Vestfirðir (Northwest Fjords) Lighthouses

Note: Vestfirðir (Westfjords), in the northwestern corner of Iceland, is a fan-shaped peninsula cut by fjords into many fingers of land. The lighthouses of this dramatic but difficult terrain are poorly known. The permanent population of the region is only about 7300, with Ísafjörður being the largest town.
Breidafjörður Lighthouses
Patreksfjörður and Arnarfjörður Lighthouses * Haanes (Ólafsviti): 1947. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (2 s) flash every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. Árni Grétar has a 2011 photo, Atli Týr Ægisson has a 2008 photo, Gunnar Örn Arnarson has a distant view of this lonely spot, and Google has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse guides ships into the Patreksfjörður, the southernmost of a series of fjords cutting into the northwestern peninsula. Located at Hænuvík on the south side of the Patreksfjörður; there is a road about 300 m (1000 ft) above the lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-070; VIT-088; Admiralty L4562; NGA 18516.
Kópanes: 1971. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) round lantern mounted at one end of a 1-story concrete fog signal or equipment building. Lantern painted white, building yellow. A small photo is available, but the building is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a remote cape at the southern entrance to the Arnarfjörður. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-121; VIT-095.5; Admiralty L4567; NGA 18520.
Langanes (2): 1950 (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); flash every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) 2-story concrete building with a lantern and gallery on the seaward side of the second floor. Lighthouse painted orange (formerly yellow). A view from the fjord is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Cliffs near this location are famous for birds. Note: this is one of two Langanes (Long Cape) lighthouses in northern Iceland; see near the bottom of this page for the other one. Located on the point of land at the fork of the Arnarfjörður into the branches known as the Suðurfirdir and the Borgarfjörður, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Laugaböl. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-122; VIT-096; Admiralty L4568; NGA 18524.
Drýafjörður and Súgandafjörður Lighthouses
Svalvogar: 1920. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); two long flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted orange; lantern painted red. A photo is available, and the light is barely visible at the center of a distant Google satellite view. Svalvogar, the mountainous peninsula between the Arnarfjörður and the Drýafjörður, is famous in Icelandic folklore as the setting of the epic Gísla Saga. An unpaved road, popular with adventurous bicyclists, circles the peninsula and passes by the lighthouse. Located at the western tip of the peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-108; VIT-097; Admiralty L4570; NGA 18528.
Northern Coast Lighthouses
* Malarhorn (2): 1948 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) 1-story concrete building; the light is displayed through windows in the front. Lighthouse painted yellow. A small photo is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a promontory on the east side of Drangnes. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-123; VIT-138; Admiralty L4622; NGA 18660.

Norðurland Vestra (Western Northland) Lighthouses

Note: Norðurland Vestra has a population of about 7800; the largest town is Sauðárkrókur, at the head of the Skagafjörður.
Húnaflói Lighthouses
* Sauðárkrókur (Saudarkrokur) Range Front: Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light shown only when vessels are expected. Light mounted on the roof of a church (not on the steeple). A closeup photo of the church is available; if you click on the photo for a closer view the light can be seen. Google has an indistinct satellite view of the neighborhood. The rear light is on a post on a hill behind the town. Sauðárkrókur, at the southwestern end of the Skagafjörður, is one of the largest towns of Iceland's north coast, with a population of about 2700. Located near the center of town. Site open, tower closed. VIT-150; Admiralty L4640; NGA 18692.
* Hegranes: 1937. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); one long (2 s) flash every 13 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. The Maritime Museum has a page for the lighthouse, Oli Arnar Brynjarsson has a very distant view from the sea, a distant view from the land is also available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was originally painted white with a red horizontal band; it was repainted in yellow in 1966. Located on a promontory at the southern end of the Skagafjörður, about 5 km (3 mi) east of Sauðárkrókur. Accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi); Anke and Jens comment on the spectacular scenery. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-046; VIT-154; Admiralty L4644; NGA 18700.
Málmey: 1938. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); two long (1.5 s) flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Google has a satellite view. Málmey is a high island in the eastern entrance to the Skagafjörður; sheer cliffs surround it on all sides. Located on the southeast side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ICE-013; VIT-155; Admiralty L4648; NGA 18712.
Siglufjörður Area Lighthouses

Norðurland Eystra (Eastern Northland) Lighthouses

Note: Norðurland Eystra has a population of about 23,000. More than three quarters of the population lives in Akureyri, at the head of the Eyjafjorður.
Eyjafjorður Lighthouses
Brík: 1966. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern mounted on a concrete base. Lantern painted white. No photo available, and the light is not seen in Google's dark and distant satellite view. The lantern was prefabricated in Norway, where many similar lights are in use. Located on the west side of the entrance to the Olafsfjorður and Eyjafjorður about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the fishing village of Olafsfjorður. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. VIT-163; Admiralty L4660.6; NGA 18736.
Hrólfssker: 1951. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is described as gray by the light lists, but Thomas O'Neil's excellent photo shows it to be painted yellow with a red lantern. A 2009 view from the sea is also available. Located on a small island ("Rolf's Skerry") in the center of the entrance to the Eyjafjorður. Accessible only by boat; there are distant views from the mainland. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-052; VIT-165; Admiralty L4658; NGA 18740.
Gjögurtá: 1970. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern mounted on a concrete base. Lantern painted white. No photo available, and the light is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Eyjafjorður. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-110; VIT-174.5; Admiralty L4657; NGA 18792.
Grímsey Lighthouse
* Grímsey: 1937. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white light, 4 s on, 16 s off. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Hilmar Thor Johannsson's 2008 closeup is at the top of this page, Jón Ingi Cæsarsson also has a closeup photo, David Minkin has a good photo, Shelley McIntyre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Grímsey is an island precisely on the Arctic Circle, 41 km (25.5 mi) north of the mainland. The island has a permanent population of about 150 and is famous for its huge bird colonies. Grímsey is accessible by air or by ferry from Dalvik. Located on the southern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-007; VIT-175; Admiralty L4674; NGA 18796.
Húsavík Area Lighthouses
* Raufarhöfn: 1931. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); three flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted yellow, lantern red. Huelse has a good photo, an excellent closeup and another photo are available, Elva Bra has a fine closeup, and Google has a distant satellite view. Raufarhöfn is a fishing town near the northeastern corner of Iceland. Located on the east side of the entrance to Raufarhöfn harbor. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-073; VIT-193; Admiralty L4700; NGA 18848.
* Digranes: 1947. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); one long (1.5 s) flash every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 19 m (62 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one black vertical stripe on each face, lantern painted red. A good 2009 photo is available, Sigurdur Jonsson has 2007 photo, Huelse has a photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. This is another lighthouse completed during World War II and activated after the war. Located on an islet just off a cape 3 km (2 mi) east of the fishing town of Bakkafjörður. A footbridge connects the islet to the mainland. Accessible from town by 4WD. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ICE-033; VIT-207; Admiralty L4714; NGA 18908.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: South: East and South Iceland | West: Western Iceland

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