When the first humans arrived at Vega in their skin boats 10,000 - 11,000 years ago, only three steep mountain peaks protruded from the sea. Here, far out in the ocean, they established hunting and fishing stations on the steep islands, with Åsgarden furthest west serving as the main settlement.
When the low-lying islands were first utilized around 1500 years ago, it was primarily as hunting and fishing stations for fishing, hunting, and gathering.
Many eventually saw the possibility of settlement on the large coastal plain. People settled on the islands because the livelihood was more secure there than inland, where crops were often vulnerable to bad years. It was primarily fish that provided food and income. The barren soil provided fodder for a couple of cows and some sheep. They also hunted seals and seabirds. The wild eider duck provided precious, soft eiderdown.
Over 80 of the islands have been inhabited, some as far back as the 15th-16th centuries. Settlement continued until just a couple of decades ago.
Today, only the main island of Vega and the smaller islands of Ylvingen and Omnøy have permanent residents, but during the summer months, many are on the islands to tend to the eider ducks and preserve the landscape and buildings.
