It only takes one frustrating day at the office or a particularly disastrous commute to inspire dreams of escaping to remote lands and leaving the world behind. At Ellidaey Island, a windswept speck of land south of Iceland’s Vestmann archipelago, that fantasy can come true.
This rocky islet of just under two square miles is uninhabited—unless you count its many puffins—and, thus, there isn’t much infrastructure here. In fact, it seems there’s only a single house. Often spotted by travelers in passing ships, it’s been unofficially dubbed “the loneliest house in the world.” Is it actually?
The history of the home on Ellidaey Island
There are a number of rumors surrounding Ellidaey Island, though most of them are not true. One of the most popular focuses on Icelandic singer Björk, who some believe lives on the island. While it is true that in 2000, the Iceland Prime Minister did offer the singer an island as a thanks for her contributions to the country’s culture, she turned it down. The confusion perhaps stems from the fact that the island in question is also called Ellidaey, but it’s located in Breiðafjörður, a western bay in Iceland. Another rumor claims that the home was built by a survivalist billionaire to serve as a bunker in the event that zombies take over the world. Others have even claimed that the house does not exist at all and instead the images we see are Photoshop or AI creations.
In fact, the truth behind the house is a little less exciting. In the 1950s, the Ellidaey Hunting Association built the famous white house as a hunting lodge for its members. While it may have hosted hunters for a few nights, the shelter was never actually somebody’s home.
What is it like inside the loneliest house in the world?
While getting to Ellidaey is no easy feat—generally it’s off-limits for everyday tourists—some adventurers have been granted permission to visit. Videos online show the inside the of the lodge, which is decked out in wood paneling, a leather sectional and lounge chairs, as well as plenty of art depicting explorers and other Scandinavian-appearing islands. A number of twin beds line two rooms on the upper level.