'Skyssen' wins agricultural award!

The company known as 'Skyssen' has been named the 2025 Vestland county winner of the Business Development Award in Agriculture. For more than 100 years, the company has combined tradition with innovation, showing how agriculture and tourism can go hand in hand to create local value, sustainability and social responsibility.

For more than a hundred years, the farmers of Oldedalen transported tourists by horse and cart to the beautiful Briksdal Glacier. In 2004, they decided to discontinue this service and instead offer trips to the glacier in special 'Troll Cars'. The distinctive green cars are easy to recognise and run on biofuel.

The trip starts at the stop next to the souvenir shop in Briksdal, following a winding road through beautiful scenery alongside waterfalls and rapids in the Briksdal valley. From the terminus at Kleivane, it is about a 500-metre walk to the lake by the Briksdal Glacier. The path is wide and easy to follow, taking you through the unspoilt landscape of Jostedalsbreen National Park.

‘It is both surprising and wonderful that Oldedalen Skysslag has been named the regional winner of the 2025 BU Award. The jury chose us from among innovative and inventive businesses across Vestland, and we see that as an honorary award. What we do is more about renewal than creating something new. For over a hundred years, we have kept our community together while refining our offering based on the resources around us – namely the glacial landscape and nature,’ says General Manager Rogeir Haugen.

He adds that they are proud of their entire village.

‘We are proud that the village of Oldedalen is quite literally an important cog in the tourism industry in inner Nordfjord. We are proud that we have continued to develop our product in step with the times, and that the money we make benefits both nature and the people who live here. And we are proud to now be recognised. Thank you so much!’

Our Acting Regional Director for Vestland, Siv M. Skorpen, is impressed by what the team from Oldedalen has achieved:

– Oldedalen Skyss AS is a shining example of how long-term value creation can be built step by step, through generations of hard work and determination. Their commitment to making nature accessible to local people and visitors alike has created positive ripple effects far beyond the village. Today, they are a driving force in the local community, contributing to financial security and a thriving rural community. This deserves great recognition.

Oldedalen Skysslag was established in 1924, but its roots stretch back to the late 19th century, when farmers in Oldedalen began transporting tourists to the Briksdal Glacier. Since the 1920s, the transport association has played a key role in tourism in Oldedalen, providing tourists with safe and efficient transport, initially from Rustøy to Briksdal and later from Briksdal to the Briksdal Glacier. Today, Oldedalen Skyss AS is the last active transport association of its kind in Norway, carrying tens of thousands of tourists each year to the Briksdal Glacier in its distinctive 'Troll Cars'. In 2024, the company generated revenue of more than NOK 17 million, and 70,000 people used the transport service.

The transport association has played a vital role in sustaining a thriving rural community in Oldedalen. Since 1931, more than NOK 270 million has been paid to farms in the valley, giving new generations the financial security to stay and take over the farms. The company provides seasonal work for young people and creates positive ripple effects for tourism, retail and the hotel industry in Inner Nordfjord.

Oldedalen Skyss AS has demonstrated a strong capacity for adaptation and innovation. Following several accidents involving horses and carts, motorised 'Troll Cars' running on biofuel were introduced in 2004. The company is Eco-Lighthouse certified and has implemented several measures to reduce its environmental impact, including waste sorting, energy conservation and facilities for electric cars.

The jury highlights Oldedalen Skyss AS as an inspiring example of how agriculture and tourism can provide a foundation for local value creation, sustainability and social responsibility. The company has demonstrated a strong ability to adapt for more than 100 years, laying solid foundations for future generations.

The award was presented during the Vestland County Council meeting in Bergen on 10 December 2025.