Landscape Photography Magazine

“71° degrees north, just off the Norwegian coast, well into the Arctic Circle and 2000 km from the North Pole, lies the island of Mageroya. Myriam Cawston takes us on a journey to this fairly unknown land”

Mageroya offers vast expanses of lunar landscape, interrupted by streams of water flowing from the hills and natural lakes. Trees cannot grow on Mageroya, or not vertically at least: those that resist the devastating winds risk being flattened by the heavy snow that accompanies the dark season. On many days, the visitor will find himself exploring the island through layers of fog, drifting in and out of the clouds as he drives along the single road that leads from the harbour town of Honningsvag up to the North Cape.

Often, he will not discover until his arrival whether he has won, or lost, the Arctic weather lottery. On a bad day, he will be left staring into thick white fog. On a good day, the sun will be resting just above the horizon, over a sheet of water spanning in all directions as far as one can see. However, the best days, maybe, are those when the clouds lie beneath the cliffs, opening up just enough to give a glimpse of the ocean, giving the viewer the feeling he is standing on top of the world.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, temperatures on Mageroya are human-friendly, generally 20° centigrade higher than other places situated on the same degree of latitude. Despite its remoteness, the island holds the best of what…