Akrahreppur (, regionally also ), previously called Blönduhlíðarhreppur, is a former municipality, or hreppur, situated in the Northwestern Region of Iceland, and located east of the Héraðsvötn, north of the Kyrfisá, and leading south to Hofsjökull. It is divided into a range of villages, including Ábær. In February 2022, residents of Akrahreppur and the neighboring municipality of Skagafjörður voted to combine the two municipalities. In June 2022 the merger was formalized under the name of Skagafjörður.
Agriculture is the main industry in Akrahreppur and the area is sparsely populated. There are four churches in Akrahreppur in Flugumýri, Miklibær, Silfrastaðir, and Ábær in Austurdalur, but the Ábær parish is now completely abandoned.
A small amount of geothermal energy is used in some places in Akrahreppur, and a swimming pool was built in Víðivellir in 1938, but it is no longer in use. Now a heating utility system has been built from Varmahlíð, and it services almost all of Blönduhlíð.
Geography The municipality spans all Blönduhlíð and Norðurádalur, Kjálki, and Austurdalur, except for the town of Bústaðir, which belongs to Skagafjörður County. Some abandoned farms in Vallhólmur also belong to Akrahreppur although they are now west of the Héraðsvötn because the boundary moved. Extensive pastureland, in Silfrastaðir and Nýibær, belong to the municipality.
History Akrahreppur is the setting of many major events in the Age of the Sturlungs, including the Battle of Örlygsstaðir, the Battle of Haugsnes, and the Flugumýri Arson.
The poet Hjálmar Jónsson lived in various towns in Akrahreppur during the 19th century and is named after one of them, Bóla in Blönduhlíð.
From 1949 to 2006, the hreppur's elementary school was the Héðinsminni community center in Stóra-Akrar, but in the wake of a dispute between parents and teachers, it was shut down, and since then the students have been driven to a school in Varmahlíð.
Hreppur Council Five representatives sat on the Akrahreppur council who were voted in through proportional representation every four years. The last Akrahreppur council was elected in the hreppur committee election on May 26, 2018.
Council Chairs Source:Byggðasaga Skagafjarðar IV. bindi Akrahreppur, edited by Hjalti Pálsson, page 50 1875–1878 Gísli Þorláksson in Hjaltastaðir 1878–1881 Þorkell Pálsson in Frostastaðir 1881–1883 Páll Pálsson in Syðri-Brekkum 1883–1886 Rögnvaldur Björnsson in Réttarholt 1886–1889 Þorvaldur Arason in Flugumýri 1889–1901 Sigtryggur Jónatansson in Syðri-Brekkur and Framnes 1901–1937 Gísli Björnsson in Stóru-Akrar and Vaglar 1937–1958 Jóhannes Steingrímsson in Silfrastaðir 1958–1986 Jóhann Lárus Jóhannesson in Silfrastaðir 1986–2002 Broddi Björnsson in Framnes 2002–2018 Agnar Halldór Gunnarsson in Miklibær 2018–2022 Hrefna Jóhannesdóttir
Localities Ábær Miklibær Silfrastaðir
References