About us

Geilin is a family house with deep roots on Fugloy. The present building dates back to 1916, but an earlier Geilin once stood here, and the family’s connection to the island reaches further back. Today, the existing house remains in the hands of the third generation.

Geilin is run by Anna Katrin Matras and Gestur Hovgaard. For Anna Katrin, the house has been part of family life across generations. Her academic background in archaeology, ethnology and social science informs the careful approach to restoration and the attention to place, memory and material culture.

Gestur brings many years of research experience within the social sciences, contributing a broader perspective on community, sustainability and the relationship between visitors and small-scale societies.

The decision to restore the house was not driven by expansion, but by continuity — a wish to maintain a historic home and keep it in meaningful use. The restoration has been gradual and respectful, preserving original interiors while adapting the house to contemporary needs.

Geilin is not a hotel, but a family-led place to stay. It exists within a small island community, and guests are invited to experience Fugloy with attentiveness and respect for its people, landscape and rhythms.

For us, Geilin is both inheritance and responsibility — a meeting point between past and present, island life and those who come to encounter it.