Borgarnes, a small town on Borgarfjörður. One of the very few costal towns in Iceland not dependent on fishing. Engaged mainly in commerce, service and industry. Sheriff and health centre. The first building know to have been built in Borgarnes was built by a Scot in 1858 for salmon-canning. Rivers and lakes are rich of salmons and trout’s.
The settler Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson is buried in Borgarnes, his burial mound now being the central feature in a beautiful public garden, Skallagrímsgarður. Landnámssetið, the Icelandic Settlement Centre, is situated in the picturesque township of Borgarnes. The Borgarfjordur area is the setting for Egils Saga, one of the most graphic of the settlement sagas, and this historical context combined with the charming natural beauty of the site make it an ideal location for the Centre. The prime objective of the Icelandic Settlement Centre at Borgarnes is to dramatically recreate the fascinating sagas surrounding the birth of this island nation.
Brákarsund, (“Brák’s channel”) between the town and the island Brákarey (“Brák’s island”), both named for Brák, a slave of Skallagrímur’s. Fleeing her master’s anger, she tried to swim out to the island but he threw a boulder which hit her between the shoulders and killed her. A memorial in her remembrance is there.