Hidden in plain sight on the idyllic island of Knarrarnes, off the coast of West Iceland, a tradition lives on. Rúnar and Dóra carry forward the legacy of eiderdown farming, watching over 3,000 nesting ducks on this picturesque piece of paradise. 


“Four siblings lived here and farmed the island until the millennium when they had to give it up due to old age. They had no children, so there was no one to take over from them,” Rúnar Ragnarsson says of Knarrarnes off Borgarnes in West Iceland, a little island paradise hidden in plain sight. His family inherited Knarrarnes and the surrounding islands and took over the extensive eider farming operation, watching over approximately 3,000 nesting ducks scattered over myriad islets and skerries. 

Knarrarnes is close to shore and, in fact, connected to land at low tide. Then it’s possible to ride on horseback to land, sometimes wade the mud to shore, or drive in frosty weather. But it’s easiest to travel by boat at high tide. Today, the island has all the necessary ND modern infrastructure. Rúnar indicates the power cables. “There’s electricity on the island and freshwater is from an underground pipe.” The family uses the old farmhouse on Knarrarnes as a holiday retreat. Inside the house, old furniture and photographs are reminiscent of its last residents. 

The three brothers and one sister lived on Knarrarnes their entire lives, maintaining their parents’ farm after they passed. Stella, the sister, was quite the character. A talented singer, she was headed for music school in Germany when her parents pleaded with her to stay and take care of her bachelor brothers. So, Stella remained in their private little paradise, going to shore maybe twice a year. Each time, Stella made a point of spending a few days in Reykjavík, and attending every musical event there was. “Stella liked to dress up, even if there were no visitors,” says Rúnar. “She said the eiders were especially fond of her green coat. They all followed her when she walked along the shore while wearing it.

Rúnar and his wife, Dóra Axelsdóttir, clean all the eiderdown, as well as the down that they buy from others, and produce their duvets. Their label is called Stellan, after Stella of Knarrarnes. “We have the covers specially made in Poland or Germany, either from cotton or silk. The duvets have many compartments to prevent the down from clumping together,” explains Dóra.

Their main customers are in Asia, mostly China and Japan, and each duvet is a special order. The couple is currently working on a duvet measuring 150x210 cm (~5X7 feet), which has 48 compartments and 400 g (14 oz) of eiderdown in each of them – which is light. The size of the duvet and volume of down varies depending on the customers’ wishes. 

Filling the duvet requires teamwork; Rúnar weighs the down, and Dóra uses an air gun to blow the precious feathers into each compartment. Their technology has evolved over the years, but there is still a lot of handwork. An authentic eiderdown duvet is a premium and sought-after product. “It’s expensive,” states Dóra. “But people don’t realize how much work goes into each duvet. The hourly rate isn’t high.” 

Named after the island’s last resident, Stella, their brand Stellan produces luxurious eiderdown duvets, handcrafted with care and attention to detail