Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.05.2018, Blaðsíða 48

48 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07 — 2018
Route 85 turns suddenly from tar-
mac to gravel somewhere around
Þórshöfn. We trundle over the dusty
track that connects the northeastern
corner of Iceland with the Ring Road,
which we left some 140 kilometres
ago. To the east, the Langsnes pen-
insula rolls far out into the glitter-
ing sea; to the west, snow-streaked
mountains line the horizon. It’s a
beautiful area of wild countryside,
with a small rural population, and
even fewer tourists.
Farm life
The reason for the trip is to visit the
Grásteinn, a working farm that also
runs a guesthouse. Up a dirt track
from the main road, we coast into a
long, green valley, finally pull up at
the farmhouse where we’re greeted
by two friendly dogs, and then by Hil-
dur Stefánsdóttir, who runs the place
with her husband Siggi.
“Welcome,” she says warmly, with
a broad smile. “I was just going down
to the barn—we have someone com-
ing to ultrasound the sheep. Let me
get you settled in, and then you’re
welcome to come and take a look….”
Hildur shows us to the cabins, on
a large lawn set back from the farm-
house. They’re beautifully appointed,
with comfortable furniture and styl-
ish fittings, whilst maintaining a
cosy cabin feel. After unpacking and
relaxing with a coffee, we pull on our
hiking boots and head down to the
barn to see what’s happening.
Baby on board
The work happened fast. As we arrive,
Hildur is already shepherding the last
of the farm’s 400 sheep through some
lanes, where they’re given an ultra-
sound one by one. It takes only a few
seconds per animal. Most are marked
afterwards—a green spray on the back
for one lamb, no mark for two, and a
red spray for three. A mark on the
head means the sheep isn’t carrying
any lambs, but those marks are few. “It
looks like we’re expecting about 700
lambs come May,” says Hildur, show-
ing us around the barn, which also
houses chickens, ducks, seven young
horses, and a pet rabbit.
With the work done, and the sky
blue, Hildur offers to take us out for a
Distance from
Reykjavík:
610 km
Flight provided by:
airiceland-
connect.is
Car provided by:
gocarrental.is
Accommodation
provided by:
grasteinn
guesthouse.is
How to get there:
Fly from Reykjavík or
drive Route One
North then Route 85
“We pause,
breathless,
to take in the
towering
Gatastakkur
archway, and
the huge
Stakkatorfar
sea stack.”
Grey Stone
And The Red
Peninsula
Farm life and hiking in the far northeast
Words : John Rogers Photos: Timothée Lambrecq
The outback: the farm runs all the way to the mountainsHey guys! A peek inside farm life