Vestmanna
Encyclopedia
Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

 on the west of the island of Streymoy
Streymoy
Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn is located there. The name means "island of currents".- Geography :...

. It was formerly a ferry port, until an undersea tunnel was built from Vágar
Vágar
Vágar is one of the 18 islands in the archipelago of the Faroe Islands and the most westerly of the large islands. With a size of 178 km² , it ranks number three, behind Streymoy and Eysturoy....

 to Kvívík
Kvívík
Kvívík is a village on the west coast of Streymoy in the Faroe Islands, in the eponymous municipality of Kvívík.The village is on both sides of a narrow bay and the small river Stora....

 and Stykkið
Stykkið
Stykkið is a village on the west coast of the Faroese island Streymoy in the Kvívíkar municipality. The 2005 population was 42. Its postal code is FO 330. Stykkið was founded in 1845.-External links:*...

. The cliffs west of Vestmanna, Vestmannabjørgini are very popular for excursions by boat.

A 'Vestmann' was a "Westman", or Gael
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....

 in Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....

.

The original name was Vestmannahavn, i.e. "West-men's/Irish-men's harbour".

History

In December 1759, during the Seven Year's War, François Thurot
François Thurot
François Thurot was a French privateer, merchant naval captain and smuggler who terrorised British shipping in the early part of the Seven Years' War....

's squadron sheltered from stormy conditions at Vestmanna. The lack of supplies available from the islanders motivated the subsequent raids by the squadron on the north Irish coast.

Geography

It is surrounded by the mountains of Hægstafjall (296 m (971.1 ft)), Økslin (317 m (1,040 ft)), Loysingafjall (639 m (2,096.5 ft)), Moskurfjall (624 m (2,047.2 ft)).

Extern Links

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