Hamarsrett sheep pen

The pens at Hamarsrett are still used for sorting sheep during a réttir. They stand on the shore at Vatnsnes, in Northwest Iceland, and are classed as a historical landmark. Most days no sorting is under way, and the site works as a plain roadside stop. A picnic bench and a bin sit above the sea, a few steps from the car park. When the pens are empty, the view over the water is the reason to pull in.

• Most days nothing is happening: the pens fill only during a réttir. At any other time they stand empty.
• Picnic stop: a bench and a bin sit at the site, facing the sea.
• Children: the site is suitable for a stop with children.

Hamarsrett is reached by car. The pens stand on the coast at Vatnsnes, and the car park is at the site itself, so the last stretch is a walk of a few steps rather than minutes. The postal address is a plus code, not a street name. Set the coordinates in your map app before you set off.

Best: a weekend in mid-to-late September, when the round-up fills the fold with sheep and the surrounding farms turn out to sort them — the busiest weekend of its year. Otherwise: expect an empty pen and a sea view rather than a spectacle. In summer the coast is busy with nesting birds; on clear autumn and winter nights the dark, low shoreline is a good place to watch for the northern lights.