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In Iceland, the concept of landscape is growing in prominence with respect to environmental planning and conservation. This is reflected in strategic initiatives and amendments made to existing legislation. Although the route towards a legal definition of landscape has been somewhat arbitrary, experts in planning and conservation have increasingly come to rely on scientific reasoning and international frames of reference. But as Foucault was keen to point out, such ‘will to truth’ pushes away whatever it cannot assimilate; in this case the cultural meaning that is embedded in the Icelandic landscape concept, landslag. The presentation will introduce the results of a mapping of the conceptual understanding of landslag among lay people in Iceland, and discuss the possible implications of ruling out popular knowledge in conservation.