The 'World's Loneliest House': Elliðaey's Myths Debunked

Here are the facts and myths behind the viral photograph.

What is Snopes?

Snopes

/snoʊps/ NOUN and sometimes VERB

We are the internet’s go-to source for discerning what is true and what is total nonsense. Before you scroll further, a few tips on how to “snopes”:

Thousands upon thousands of fact checks and investigations live in our archives. You might want to bookmark this page.

Discover

Shortcut to the most popular or most recent content when you visit the Hot 50 and What’s New pages.

Submit

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Send us a note. Your tip could be our next assignment.

Editors' Picks

At Snopes we debunked the myths behind Elliðaey in Iceland also known as the so-called world's loneliest house.

The ‘World’s Loneliest House’: Elliðaey’s Myths Debunked

X-Ray, Medical Imaging X-Ray Film, Ct Scan

Scientists Describe ‘Dancing Molecules’ Capable of Repairing Spinal Cord Injuries

Frequently Asked Questions

May I submit items for Snopes to fact-check?

What does ‘snopes’ mean?

What makes Snopes a reliable resource?

What is Snopes’ fact-checking process?

See All

Latest Articles

View all

Did Will Smith Climb to the Top of the Burj Khalifa?

14 November 2021

The actor scaled the building's stairs, and then some.

Fact Check

‘Wilson’ Volleyball from ‘Cast Away’ Sells for $308K at Auction

14 November 2021

The piece of film memorabilia sold for higher than expected.

News

Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Astroworld Tragedy?

14 November 2021

"The Simpsons" aren't nearly as good at making predictions as the internet seems to think.

Fact Check

Discovered: First Dinosaur Known Roamed Greenland 214M Years Ago

13 November 2021

The two-legged herbivore is named for the Inuit word for “cold bone.”

News

Is Arby’s Making a French Fry-Flavored Vodka?

13 November 2021

A chef partnered with Arby's to create Bloody Mary recipes.

Fact Check

Can Pronghorn Antelope See the Rings of Saturn?

13 November 2021

The ungulates are said to have “bionic binocular vision.”

Fact Check

Confetti falls on Britney Spears supporters outside a hearing concerning the pop singer's conservatorship at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. A Los Angeles judge ended the conservatorship that has controlled Spears' life and money for nearly 14 years. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Britney Freed: Judge Dissolves Spears’ Conservatorship

12 November 2021

“As of today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is...

AP News

FILE - Former White House strategist Steve Bannon poses prior to an interview with The Associated Press, in Paris, May 27, 2019. Bannon, a longtime ally to former President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, on two counts of contempt of Congress after he defied a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Bannon Indicted on Contempt Charges for Defying 1/6 Subpoena

12 November 2021

Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was indicted on two counts...

AP News

steve bannon charged with contempt of congress

Bannon 1st Person Charged with Contempt of Congress Since 1983

12 November 2021

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was indicted by a grand jury in November...

Fact Check

The ‘World’s Loneliest House’: Elliðaey’s Myths Debunked

12 November 2021

Here are the facts and myths behind the viral photograph.

Fact Check

FILE - Glen de Vries, right, takes a look as William Shatner, left, shows what rocket lift off did to his face during a media availability at the spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. Glen de Vries, 49, and Thomas P. Fischer, 54, died in crash of a single-engine Cessna 172 that went down Thursday, Nov. 11, in a wooded area of Hampton Township, N.J. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Man Who Went to Space with Shatner Dies in Plane Crash

12 November 2021

A man who traveled to space with William Shatner last month was killed along with...

AP News

FILE - This June 3, 2018 photo shows a marker on the burial site for Homer Plessy at St. Louis No. 1 Cemetery in New Orleans. Homer Plessy, the namesake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1896 “separate but equal” ruling, is being considered for a posthumous pardon. The Creole man of color died with a conviction still on his record for refusing to leave a whites-only train car in New Orleans in 1892. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz, File)

Homer Plessy, Key to ‘Separate but Equal,’ on Road to Pardon

12 November 2021

A Louisiana board voted to pardon Homer Plessy, whose decision to sit in a “whites-only"...

AP News

Top Fact Checks

What’s True and False About Kyle Rittenhouse’s Alleged Victims

Here’s What Biden Said About Satchel Paige

An ad claimed to always put a plastic bottle on your tires when parked and here's why.

Should a Bottle Always Be Put on Tires When Parked?

Did Biden Poop His Pants in Rome?

Did USA Today Post Article Mocking Kyle Rittenhouse for So-Called ‘Crocodile Tears’?

View all

Most Searched

Did Biden Fart in Front of the Duchess of Cornwall?

Does Vid Show Biden Dozing off at Climate Change Summit?

Did Biden Poop His Pants in Rome?

What’s True and False About Kyle Rittenhouse’s Alleged Victims

Will Posting This Notice Stop Facebook or Instagram from Making Your Posts Public?