Northern Scandinavia's forgotten lifestyle: family of 14 in remote cabin

In the far north, where life revolves around the sea, Birger’s father grew up in a world without cars, where reaching the nearest store required hours of rowing. Self-sufficiency wasn’t a choice—it was a necessity.

During the long and harsh winter, they had to put up with the fact that there wasn't much space to share indoors among fourteen people from three different generations. Life was hard and demanding up until the mid-twentieth century, when most people left for the city.

On Norway’s Lofoten archipelago, along the 68th parallel, villagers fished for cod, raised sheep and cows, and traded for what they couldn’t produce. Off-grid living wasn’t a lifestyle; it was simply life. Homes were topped with sod roofs, anchored by boulders to withstand fierce storms.

Drawn by the rugged beauty and solitude of Austvågøya island, Birger returned to his father’s homeland to revive this off-grid haven. Today, the property features three sod-covered homes—two cabins and a restored main house—as well as a 19th-century boathouse that offers shelter to camping tourists during summer storms.

We stayed for several nights in one of the cabins—small but cleverly designed with twin lofts that can sleep up to ten. Outside, sheep wandered freely under the glow of the midnight sun. Birger showed us the restored main house, where wooden beams, likely reused for centuries, stand as a testament to the resourcefulness and resilience of this remote way of life.

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