Skalanes Nature Reserve

Skalanes is at a beautiful location in a remote area nestled away from the town of Seydisfjordur. It’s an Independent field center and host to university students from all over the world working with them on research and education. Making it a practical setting for teaching about the natural environment of Iceland throughout the findings from varied research topics. The stunning cliffs close to the house reaching 640 meters high (approximately 2100 ft.) are home to thousands of seabirds during the nesting season which is visited on the tour. The area has a large colony of nesting eiders and arctic terns and a gradually evolving ecosystem of flora and fauna. Seals, whales and reindeers are a common sight in the area, but it is always a delightful surprise if any of these animals grace us with their presence during a tour. The landscape visited hosts remains of farms and turf structures which gives a context to the interaction of humans and nature since the settlement of Iceland. Included in the tour is a stop at the archaeological dig site of Thorarinsstadir where a stave church and a graveyard were excavated by a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Steinunni Kristjansdottir in 1998 – 2000.