The Icelandic state bought Teigarhorn, a historical farmland in Berufjörður, East Iceland, for approximately ISK 50 million (USD 389,000, EUR 288,000) last week. It comes with valuable natural and cultural relics and one of the best known locations of zeolites in the world lies within its borders.

From near Teigarhorn. Photo: Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.

Teigarhorn has been for sale for the past years, originally for twice as much. According to ruv.is, many prospective buyers were interested in it, including an entrepreneur who wanted to take advantage of its natural resources and export water.

However, the district council of Djúpavogshreppur opposed the idea given that the water supply for the town Djúpivogur is located on the land. Teigarhorn’s natural and cultural relics were thought to be at risk.

The land also has a symbolic value for the region as Búlandstindur, its landmark mountain, stands within its borders.

The district council requested that the state acquire the land four years ago so that it wouldn’t become a private property and last week the acquisition took place.

No one has lived on Teigarhorn in recent years, there has been no supervision with the land and no service for tourists. However, the land is considered to have great potential when it comes to tourism and developments in that field are planned.

The state will formally take over the land in mid-April. Talks with Djúpavogshreppur on supervising the land and the service that will be established there have begun.

As a side note, Teigarhorn is where the highest temperature has ever been recorded in Iceland, 30.5°C (86.9°F) on June 22, 1939.

ESA