The history of Brandasund
Brandasund lies beside a sheltered harbour on the outer shipping route. Its proximity to good fishing grounds and a safe passage made the place important to seafarers, fishers and traders long before a road reached it.
Trading and innkeeping centre
The old trading and innkeeping site is on Gisøya. Known written records of a merchant’s seat date back to 1667, and an older name for the area is Gisøsund. The name Brandasund may be linked to Jakob Brandt, one of the early merchants licensed to trade here.
The merchant bought fish from the area and operated activities including salting, cooperage and fish reception. The innkeeping site also had an arrangement for transporting travellers onwards along the coast.
Herring and the sea route
During the great herring eras of the 18th and 19th centuries, Brandasund became an important centre for fishing on Sørafeltet. The harbour provided shelter, while boathouses, salting sheds and other buildings supported reception, work, storage and trade.
A historic built environment
Brandasund still has a compact and distinctive coastal setting. Kringom describes, among other buildings, a main house from the early 19th century, Mosesloftet from the 18th century, a bakery, smithy, shop, fish factory, boathouses, waterfront warehouses and storage buildings.
The buildings tell of a place where homes, trade, crafts and fishing were closely interwoven.
Nillo at Skjeret
Across the sound, Pernille Waage, known as Nillo at Skjeret, ran her distinctive general store. She lived from 1898 to 1992 and became an institution in the local community. The shop setting has been preserved and is used for interpretation during the summer season.
From sea route to road connection
For hundreds of years, the sea was the most important route to Brandasund. In 1991, a road connection across Bømlo and out to the islands was completed. The place is still shaped by the sea, fisheries and traffic through the sound.
Sources and historic traces
The history on this page is based on professional sources and local collections. If you have corrections, documented information or historic photos, Visit Brandasund will explain how to contribute once the contact solution is ready. Read more at Kringom – Brandasund.