Both glacial and periglacial environments were intensively investigated in the Tröllaskagi area of Northern Iceland, in order to make basic comparisons with the results of research on Alpine climatic history. The recent glaciers of the area (with a snowline at 960–990 m above sea level) were already independent of the large ice caps of Central and Southern Iceland by the late‐glacial period. The amount of lowering of the equilibrium line (by 70 to 440 m) during four glacial stadials is equivalent to that during the late‐glacial advances in the Alps. Thus far these results cannot be connected with the two well‐known late‐glacial advances in Iceland (Álftanes and Búdi‐Hólkot). From an analysis of the morphology and vegetation the pro‐glacial areas can be sharply outlined.