Stóra Dímun Travel Guide

Stóra Dímun is a small island in the remote Faroe Islands home to only one family. The highest peak on the island is Høgoyggj (396 m / 1299 ft).

The only way to enter Stóra Dímun is by helicopter service. The helicopter operates twice a week throughout the year.

Stóra Dímun means Large Dímun and the neighbouring island Lítla Dímun translates to Small Dímun. Dímun is an old Norse word for two things similar.

The island is located in the southern part of the archipelago. You always feel the weather up front when you stand on Stóra Dímun. The best advice that you will get from the only family living in the farmhouse on the island is that the weather decides what you can do on the island.

Úr Dímun og Stóra Dímun

Today, the only family on the island bear the second name “úr Dímun” which translates to from Dímun. The family maintains a traditional sheep farm, tending to approximately 450 sheep that graze freely on the steep grassy slopes. The island’s total area is 2.65 square kilometres (1.02 square mile), making it the smallest inhabited island in the archipelago.

A notable feature of Stóra Dímun is its dramatic landscape, with steep cliffs shooting from the sea around the entire island. These cliffs are filled with seabirds in summer, including puffins, guillemots, and fulmars.

The resident family operates a small guesthouse, though visits must be carefully planned due to the limited helicopter schedule. There are no shop or public facilities on the island, requiring visitors to be largely self-sufficient. The island has no natural water supply adding to the challenging conditions on the island.

Despite modern conveniences like good internet connectivity, life on the island remains deeply connected to traditional farming. Weather conditions in the Faroe Islands are unpredictable and life on this small North Atlantic outpost needs to adapt to ever-changing weather.