Skaftholtsréttir – The Skaftholt Sheepfolds

Réttir, or sheepfolds, can be widely found in most habitable areas of Iceland and the rounding up and gathering of sheep into the folds from highland pastures in the autumn developed over the ages into an important social event.

The summer pastures in the highlands of Gnúpverjahreppur-county stretch along the banks of river-Þjórsá westbound to the highlands, reaching Arnarfell-mountain. The stretch spans about 120 km and the sheep, which are rounded up on horseback, are then driven back to Skaftholdsréttir-fold.

Historical records, mentioning Skaftholtsréttir-fold, are limited but it is believed that there has been a sheepfold on this location since the 12th century. In Sturlunga-saga, the fold is mentioned and named as a meeting place in 1283.

Skaftholtsréttir-fold boasts a circular shaped common area, known as almenningur, with triangular shaped stalls, or dilkar, leading from the outer walls to the common area.

Neighbouring counties rounded up sheep into the fold until 1881, until Reykjaréttir-fold was erected and took its place and now only sheep from Gnúpverjarhreppur-county are sorted in the fold.

Skaftholtsréttir-fold was renovated and rebuilt in 1954, but collapsed almost completely when an earthquake shook the area on June 17, 2000. Rebuilding began the following summer and shortly after a group of about 300 volunteers founded the Friends of Skaftholtsréttir-society to fund the reconstruction of the fold.

[Incidentally - this description was on a sign at the sheepfold. Rather than retype it all from another photograph, I asked Claude AI to do it for me, These AI tools definitely have their uses, even if their responses shouldn't always be trusted.]