What it’s like to live inside “the loneliest house in the world”
Inside a unique building on a remote Icelandic island. Join us on a visit with a look at its interior and some of the fascinating legends associated with it, from its supposed purchase by the singer Björk to rumours that a survivalist billionaire built it in preparation for a zombie apocalypse.
Do you ever dream of escaping to a remote island and leaving the world behind? That dream could come true on Elliðaey, a windswept island in the Atlantic, south of Iceland’s Vestmann archipelago. This rocky 4.5-square-kilometre island is uninhabited, except for a large number of puffins. With no human residents, there is very little infrastructure, just a single house. Travelers passing by have spotted it, and it’s gained fame on social media as “the loneliest house in the world.” Whether it truly deserves that title is unclear, but the house certainly captivates the imagination and inspires many stories.
The Building That Launched A Thousand Tales
“The Mystery of the World’s Loneliest House” is a common headline about this intriguing building on its dramatic island setting. Stories about the house often include videos that explore various theories. One popular but false story suggests that Icelandic singer Björk lived there after receiving it as a gift from the Icelandic government for her cultural contributions. This tale may have been inspired by Björk’s interest in buying a house on a different island. Another rumor claims that the house was built by a billionaire survivalist as a bunker for a zombie apocalypse. Some even argue that the house doesn’t exist at all and that images of it are just Photoshop or AI creations.
The real story behind the house is a bit less dramatic. The island was once home to sheep-farming families until the 1930s, when they left due to its remote location and harsh climate. In the 1950s, the well-known white house was built as a hunting lodge for puffin hunters. Puffin hunting has a long tradition in Iceland but is now threatened by wildlife protection laws, much like the house itself.
A Look Inside: No Water Or Electricity, But There Is A Sauna
The hunting lodge is still in use today. Online video tours reveal a simple interior with no running water or electricity, but it does have a sauna, following a Scandinavian tradition. The house collects rainwater and is quite comfortable, with paneling, furniture, and a wood-burning stove for heat. The attic provides sleeping space for hunters. There’s also a wooden terrace where guests can enjoy stunning views of the green landscape and surrounding ocean.
A Second Secret Home
The harsh weather and ocean conditions on the island keep many explorers away, and locals often advise against visiting. However, some adventurous influencers, like American YouTuber Ryan Trahan, are undeterred. Trahan took on the challenge of traveling to the island with help from locals who had made their own video tour of the house. These videos caught Trahan’s attention, and he convinced them to take him to the island, where they even offered to cook him a steak dinner.
Ryan Trahan’s video shows him and his Icelandic guides navigating a stormy sea by boat and hiking up to the house on the island. Once they arrive, Trahan learns that all the materials for the house and its furniture were also transported by boat and carried to the site, just as he did. After enjoying the promised steak dinner, Trahan asks why this house was built on the island. The surprising answer is that there is actually another tiny house nearby, which is even older. The first house was built by researchers who came to study the puffin population. So, the loneliest house in the world isn’t quite as lonely as it seems. If you were considering Elliðaey as a refuge for a zombie apocalypse, you have two houses to choose from.
