Lovund

Lovund is a small island dominated by a single mountain of 623 metres, and on its northern slope nests one of the largest puffin colonies in Norway, several hundred thousand birds. Their return each spring is a local event with a date attached: 14 April, Lundkommardagen, which the birds have kept with remarkable consistency for as long as records exist, and which the village marks as a holiday. The birds stay through the summer, raising chicks in burrows on the slope, and leave in August. The island itself has around five hundred residents and an economy built on salmon farming rather than tourism. A path leads to viewpoints above the colony, and boats run around the cliffs.

The landscape

• The puffin colony - hundreds of thousands of birds nesting on the slope.
• The 14 April return - the arrival date the island celebrates each year.
• The mountain - a 623-metre peak filling most of the island.
• The fishing village - a working community built on aquaculture.

When to go

Mid-April for the return, June and July for the busiest colony activity, with evenings best as birds come in from the sea; the puffins leave in August. Outside that window there is little to see of them.

What to expect

Access is by boat with limited sailings, and accommodation on the island is very restricted. The colony must be watched from marked viewpoints, as disturbance damages nesting. Puffin numbers across Norway have declined, and breeding success varies sharply year to year.

Nearby

Traena lies further out on the same route; Sandnessjoen and the Seven Sisters peaks are on the mainland.

Key facts