Lighthouses of Sweden: Southern Bothnia

The nation of Sweden (Sverige in Swedish) is the largest country of northern Europe, occupying the entire west coast of the Baltic Sea. Along with its lengthy coast Sweden has a distinguished lighthouse history and a good record of preserving its historic lights. The Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet) works actively for the preservation of the lighthouses.

Sweden is divided into 21 counties (län) and the counties are subdivided into townships and municipalities (kommuner). This page covers Sweden's lighthouses of the southern portion of the Gulf of Bothnia, including the counties of Gävleborg and Uppsala. The coastline of this area faces east in Gävleborg and northeast in Uppsala. The adjoining portion of the Gulf is known in Sweden as the Bothnian Sea (Bottenhavet), with Finland on the other side roughly 175-250 km (110-150 mi) away.

The Swedish word for a lighthouse is fyr. The front light of a range is the nedrefyr (lower light) and the rear light is the övrefyr (upper light). Ö is an island, holme is an islet, skär is a skerry (a tiny island or rocky reef), grund is a shoal or shallow, sund is a strait (often between an island and the mainland), vik is a bay, hav is a sea, udde is a headland, flod is a river, and hamn is a port or harbor.

Aids to navigation in Sweden are maintained by the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket). Many of the major lighthouses have resident attendents, and guided tours can often be arranged.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. SV numbers are from the Sjöfarsverket light list (Fyrlista) as reported by the Swedish Lighthouse Society. Admiralty numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

General Sources
Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet, SFA)
The Society is active in promoting the preservation of Swedish lighthouses.
Svenskt Fyrväsende
From the SFA web site, data and photos for many of the lighthouses.
Online Lists of Lights - Sweden
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Leuchttürme und Leuchtfeuer in Schweden - Svenska Fyrar
A large collection of photos and data posted by Erich Hartmann; text in German.
World of Lighthouses - Sweden
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in Sweden
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Lighthouses in Sweden
Photos posted by Marinas.com.
Schwedische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Sweden.


Djursten Light, Öregrund, August 2023
Instagram photo by Anna-Lena Höglund

Lighthouses of Gävleborgs Län

Nordanstig Lighthouses
Gran (1)
1886. Inactive since 1968. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) light tower mounted atop a 1-story wood keeper's house. Lantern removed. A closeup photo is at right and Google has a good satellite view. In 1968 the active light (focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 5 s) was moved to a short skeletal tower beside the house. In 2007 the light was reported to be scheduled for deactivation but it remains in service. Located on an island in the Gulf of Bothnia about 10 km (6 mi) east of Sörfjärden. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Active light: SV-1634; Admiralty C6042; NGA 10732.
Mellanfjärden
1948. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) square wood skeletal tower with gallery and a square wood lantern room; the lights are shown through a horizontal slit window. SFA has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the west side of the entrance to the harbor of Mellanfjärden. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-1644; Admiralty C6043; NGA 10708.
Ingaskär (2)
1994 (station established 1917). Inactive. 5 m (17 ft) square wood tower; the light was shown through a window. Lighthouse painted white. Håkan Löfgren has a photo (1/4 the way down the page) but trees hide the building in Google's satellite view. SFA has a photo of a historic beacon nearby. Located on a small island in the entrance to the small harbor of Stocka, about 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Hudiksvall. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ex-SV-1665; ex-Admiralty C6045.8; ex-NGA 10706.

Gran Light, Nordanstig, August 2007
Google Maps photo by liejuk

Hudiksvall Lighthouses
Hölickskär
1932. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 4 s on, 4 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a red vertical stripe. Tore Olsson's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, SFA has a page with photos, Kormányos Zsolt has a 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a peninsula south of Hölick and about 20 km (13 mi) east southeast of Hudiksvall. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-1707; Admiralty C6057; NGA 10636.
Saltviksudde
1938 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 6 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. 1-1/2 story wood keeper's cottage, also painted white. SFA has a page with photos by Tore Olsson, Trabas has a closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands on the south side of the entrance to the Hudiksvallfjärd, the estuary leading to Hudiksvall. Located about 6 km (3.5 mi) east of Hudiksvall on the north side of the village of Saltvik. Site and tower closed (surrounded by private property). ARLHS SWE-439; SV-1724; Admiralty C6071; NGA 10672.
Kråkskär
1908. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); four flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted red, lantern white. Google has a satellite view. Located on the north end of the island of Kråkön, about 7 km (4.5 mi) west of the Agö lighthouses. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-219; SV-1715; Admiralty C6062; NGA 10632.

Hölickskär Light, Hölick, December 2017
SFA Creative Commons photo by Tore Olsson
Agö (2)
1884 (station established 1860). Inactive since 1970. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical stone tower attached to a 1-1/2 story stone keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is gray. 1-1/2 story assistant keeper's house, painted yellow, and several additional buildings, painted red. A 2021 photo is at right, a 2008 photo is available, Åke Jerling has a 2016 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view of the station, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The keeper's house is the 1860 original; initially the light was shown from a light tower atop the roof. Agö, or Agön, is an island projecting west to east into the Gulf of Bothnia about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Hudiksvall. Located on the eastern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS SWE-001.
Agö (3)
1970 (station established 1860). Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band. A photo is at right. In 2007 the light was reported to be scheduled for deactivation and the municipality of Hudiksvall declined to take over its operation. However, the light is still active as of 2023. Located adjacent to the historic lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-078; SV-1698; Admiralty C6060; NGA 10624.

Söderhamn Lighthouses
Vitgrund (Hvitgrund)
1938. Active (maintained by local government); focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 3 s, red or green depending on direction. 5.5 m (18 ft) square pyramidal wood skeletal tower with a square lantern room and gallery; the light is shown through a slit window. Lantern room painted white; the rest of the lighthouse is unpainted. Bing has an indistinct satellite view. In 2007 the light was reported to be scheduled for deactivation, but the municipality of Långvind acquired and restored the light and continues its operation. Located on a small island about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Skärså. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-440; SV-1776; Admiralty C6083; NGA 10604.

Agö Lights, Agö, August 2021
Instagram photo by Pontus
Prästgrundet (Prästholmen) (2)
1950 (station established 1934). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); four flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a black horizontal band around the lantern. A 2019 photo is available and Google has a satellite view. In 2007 the light was reported to be scheduled for deactivation, but it is still listed. Located on an island about 13 km (8 mi) east northeast of Söderhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-438; SV-1784; Admiralty C6086.2; NGA 10600.
Otterhällen
1963. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery colored green with a yellow horizontal band. Trabas has a photo and Bing has a satellite view. Located on an islet on the north side of the entrance to Söderhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-1805; Admiralty C6093; NGA 10548.
Norrutharet
1930 (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a view from the sea and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 11 km (7 mi) east of Söderhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-437; SV-1797; Admiralty C6088; NGA 10532.
Hällgrund
1952. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two long (2 s) flashes every 15 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band in the middle of the tower. The light is not seen in Bing's satellite view. The lighthouse formerly carried a helipad, as seen in the first photo by Esbjörn Hillberg on SFA's page for the lighthouse. Located on a shoal about 15 km (9 mi) east of Söderhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-172; SV-1790; Admiralty C6087; NGA 10528.
Vallvik (Fäbodvallshararna)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7.5 m (25 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with a red horizontal band. Trabas has a closeup photo, SFA has a page for the lighthouse, Torsten Richter has a 2021 photo, Andreas Köhler has a 2022 photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a spit on the south side of the entrance to Ljusne, about 13 km (8 mi) south of Söderhamn. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-479; SV-1871; Admiralty C6112; NGA 10524.
Storjungfrun
1838. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 6 s off. 21 m (69 ft) round old-style stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lower half of the lighthouse painted white, upper half black with white trim. Several wood keeper's houses and other light station buildings. The 2nd order Fresnel lens was transferred from the Landsort lighthouse in the Nynäshamn area in 1938. A Länsmuseet Gävleborg photo is at right, a 2020 photo and another photo are available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view showing a different pattern in the daymark, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the eastern point of the island of Storjungfrun, about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Söderhamn. Accessible only by boat; docking facilities available. Water taxi service from Stenö is available for guests renting cottages on the island. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: STF Hostel Storjungfrun. . ARLHS SWE-064; SV-1890; Admiralty C6122; NGA 10476.

Storjungfrun Light, Söderhamn, September 2013
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Länsmuseet Gävleborg

Gävle Lighthouses
 
Gåshällan (2)
1954 (station established 1927). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); four flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with octagonal lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. No photo of the current lighthouse available but the shadow of the tower is seen in Google's satellite view of the area. Located on a skerry about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Norrsundet. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-147; SV-1922; Admiralty C6146; NGA 10464.
Trödjehällan (3)
1970 (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. J. Hammarin has a closeup photo (last photo on the page) and Google has a distant satellite view. The original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1906. Located on a skerry off the eastern tip of the island of Eskön, roughly 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Gävle. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS SWE-396; SV-1970; Admiralty C6174; NGA 10428.
Eggegrund (4)
1932 (station established 1838). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); four flashes every 12 s , white or red depending on direction. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two galleries. Upper half of the lighthouse painted black, lower half white (just the reverse of the Björn daymark). 2-story keeper's house and other light station buildings; the keeper's house is available for vacation rental. A photo is at right, Björn Kjellberg has a 2018 view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view taken when the lighthouse was new, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse had a lantern mounted on the keeper's house. A separate light tower was added in 1862. In 1890 a new light station was built, with a light tower attached to a new keeper's house. The station is located on a small island in Gävlebukten (Gävle Bay) about 18 km (11 mi) east of Gävle. The island is a nature preserve and is popular as a birding site. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Gävle Kommun. . ARLHS SWE-007; SV-1959; Admiralty C6172; NGA 10340.

Eggegrund Light, Gävle, August 2020
Instagram photo by bonakusten
*** Bönan (1)
1840. Inactive since the 1920s. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with a wood lantern room and gallery, attached to a 1-story wood keeper's cottage. Tower painted white on the two seaward sides, otherwise red; lantern painted white. A historic pilot station stands next to the lighthouse. A Sjöfartsverket photo is at right, Magnus Pettersson has a good 2021 photo, Jan Svensson has a 2017 photo, a 2007 photo is available, SFA has a page with photos, Swedish Wikipedia has a page with a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The old lighthouse has been renovated by the Sjöfartsverket as a museum. Located in a waterfront park at the end of the Gråbergsvägen in Bönan, on the north side of the entrance to Gävle harbor. Site open, museum schedule unknown; it appears that the tower is open for climbing when the museum is open. . ARLHS SWE-004.
* Bönan (3)
1957 (station established 1840). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Two sides of the tower also carry a slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a closeup photo, SFA's page has a photo by Esbjörn Hillberg, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 40 m (44 yd) east of the historic lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-100; SV-1985; Admiralty C6184; NGA 10356.
Gävle Entrance No. 1 (H4)
1931. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, mounted on a concrete pier. Tower painted white with a black horizontal band at the base; lantern painted red with a white roof. Trabas has a photo, the light is in the right background of a photo of the channel entrance, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the south side of the entrance to the Gävle entrance channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C6186; NGA 10372.
Gävle Entrance No. 2 (H3)
1931. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); green light occulting once every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, mounted on a concrete pier. Tower painted white with a black horizontal band at the base; lantern painted green with a white roof. Trabas has a photo (with light #1 in the background), the light is at left center of a photo of the channel entrance, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the north side of the Gävle entrance channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C6188; NGA 10376.
Bönan Fyr
1840 Bönan Light, Gävle
Sjöfartsverket photo (no longer online)
Holmuddsrännan (Gävle Entrance H6)
1931. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red light, pattern unknown. 8 m (26 ft) concrete post with lantern and gallery. Tower is white, lantern painted red with a white roof. Trabas has Erich Hartmann's photo and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the south side of the Gävle entrance channel opposite the Entrance No. 2 light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C6187.
Gävle Entrance No. 3 (H5)
1931. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, mounted on a concrete pier. Tower painted white with a black horizontal band at the base; lantern painted green with a white roof. Trabas has a photo, the light is in the center of a photo of the channel entrance, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the Gävle entrance channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C6190; NGA 10380.
#Gävle Entrance No. 4
1931. Removed in 2014. This was a 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, mounted on a concrete pier. Tower painted white with a black horizontal band at the base; lantern painted red with a white roof. Trabas has a photo but Google's satellite view confirms removal of the light. The light was removed during a project in 2014 to dredge a new entrance channel. Formerly located on the south side of the Gävle entrance channel. ex-Admiralty C6194; ex-NGA 10384.
Herosgrund
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) round lantern atop a concrete post. Lantern painted red with a white roof. Trabas has a photo and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a dangerous shoal of the south side of the Gävle entrance channel. Admiralty C6195; NGA 10404.
* Limö (Övre) (1)
1902. Inactive since 1980. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal wood tower with a pyramidal roof; the light(s) must have been shown through windows. Formerly painted dark red, the building is now painted white; roof is red. Henrik Åsberg has the 2017 photo at right, Magdalena Foryś has a 2021 photo, Wikimedia has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Limö is an island about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long in the entrance to Gävle harbor. The light was the common rear light for two ranges, one for ships approaching from the east and one for vessels approaching from the northeast. The city of Gävle restored the lighthouse in the late 1990s, and it is now occupied in the summer by artists who apply for scholarship support to work there. Located near the eastern end of the island. Passenger ferry service to the island is available. Owner/site manager: Gävle Kommun. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-262.

Old and new Limö Lights, Gävle, July 2017
Google Maps photo by Henrik Åsberg
* Limö (Övre) (2)
1980 (station established 1902). Probably inactive since 2011. 21 m (69 ft) square steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. The tower also carries a large vertically slatted daymark, painted white with a red horizontal band. Wikimedia has a photo of the two lights. The light was the common rear light for two ranges, one for ships approaching from the east and one for vessels approaching from the northeast. In 2011 the range lights were replaced with directional lights seen only along the former range lines. Located near the eastern end of the island. Passenger ferry service to the island is available. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Gävle Kommun. ARLHS SWE-263; ex-SV-1981; ex-Admiralty C6176.
* Fyrskepp 2B Almagrundet
1896 (Brodins Shipyard, Gävle). Decommissioned 1969. 23.5 m (77 ft) steel lightship; light tower with lantern and gallery amidships. Vessel painted red with white trim. A 2016 photo is at right, Lasse Karlsson has a closeup photo, and a photo of the ship rigged for winter is available. The ship served the Almagrundet station for its first 16 years. After serving many years (1927-51) on the Hävringe station, it was converted in 1952 to a combination lightship and pilot vessel for Malmö. The ship was decommissioned after being forced aground and damaged by a violent storm in 1969. Repaired and restored, for the next twenty years it was open as a museum vessel in Malmö. In 1989, by which time the ship had fallen into very poor condition, it was sold to Knuth Borg. Borg restored the ship and had it moored at the Tullhus pier in downtown Västerås. In 2015 it was again restored and relocated to Gävle. Daniel Åkerman has a 2022 sea view and Google has a 2019 street view and a satellite view of the ship at its new home. Moored at the foot of the Redargaten in Gävle harbor. Site open, tours of the vessel can be arranged. Owner/site manager: Almagrundets Vänner (Fyrskeppet Almagrundet). . ARLHS SWE-238.

Lightship Almagrundet, Gävle, May 2016
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Morfph

Lighthouses of Uppsalas Län

Several additional lighthouses of Uppsalas Län are listed on the Lake Mälaren page.

Bothnian Sea Lighthouses
Finngrundet
1969. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white or red depending on direction. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with three galleries and a helipad on top. Lighthouse painted red with one black horizontal band. No current photo available; an aerial photo (1/3 the way down the page) and a 1970s photo show an older color pattern. The lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This lighthouse replaced a lightship, Fyrskepp 25 Finngrundet, now moored at the Sjöhistoriska Museet (Maritime History Museum) in Stockholm. Located on a shoal in the Gulf of Bothnia about 35 km (22 mi) north of Öregrund. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-012; SV-2172; Admiralty C6250; NGA 10312.
Västra Banken
1970. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 27 m (89 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with three galleries and a helipad on top. Lighthouse painted black with a red horizontal band. A closeup photo (halfway down the page) and another photo are available but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This lighthouse replaced a lightship, Fyrskepp 23 Västra Banken, which is in retirement as a café on the island of Grenada in the West Indies (the light tower is preserved at Öresund; see below). Located on a shoal in the Gulf of Bothnia about 20 km (13 mi) north northeast of Fagerviken. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-075; SV-2182; Admiralty C6252; NGA 10308.

Tierp Lighthouses
Björn (3)
1956 (station established 1859). Active; focal plane 23.5 m (77 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 8 s off. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Upper half of the lighthouse painted white, lower half black. A 2021 photo is at right, Sergey Ishkuvatov has a 2018 photo, Michael Lundberg has a 2008 photo, Ouali Béchir has a photo, Trabas has a distant view, Hartmann has a page for the lighthouse, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Originally this station had twin lighthouses, one of them connected to a keeper's house. The two towers were replaced by a single, taller tower in 1889. The station is on a rather remote island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) off the coast and 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Fagerviken. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS SWE-093; SV-2091; Admiralty C6226; NGA 10300.
Klungsten
1957. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a photo and Google has a distant satellite view. Located about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) offshore near Klungsten. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2105; Admiralty C6233; NGA 10288.
Ängskärsskaten
1945. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) square wood building with a pyramidal roof. The lights are shown through a horizontal slit window. Lighthouse painted white; the roof is black. Trabas has a photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a skerry off the end of long forested peninsula north of Öne. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Ängkärs Naturreservat. SV-2116; Admiralty C6234; NGA 10284.

Björn Light, Tierp, August 2021
Instagram photo by mittbladaker

Östhammar Lighthouses
Argos Grund (Argosgrund)
1957. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. Lighthouse painted white with a black horizontal band at the top. A closeup photo is available and Bing has a satellite view. Located about 5 km (3 mi) north of the Örskär lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-084; SV-2129; Admiralty C6238; NGA 10296.
* Örskär (2)
1739 (Carl Hårleman) (station established 1687). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); two long (2 s) white flashes every 10 s. 33 m (108 ft) 2-stage cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. The lower stage is octagonal and the upper stage is round. Lighthouse painted white with one black horizontal band on each stage. Several wood keeper's houses and other light station buildings; this is one of Sweden's most completely preserved light stations. It is also the country's second oldest operating lighthouse (after Landsort). A photo is at right, SFA has a page with several photos, Hartmann has a page with a distant photo, Katarina Utberg has a fine photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Trabas has a very distant view from the sea, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The keeper's houses have been renovated as a hostel; two are also available for vacation rental. The first lighthouse, a wood tower, burned in 1737. The present lighthouse was built by the royal architect, Carl Hårleman, who also built the royal palace in Stockholm. Örskär is not a skerry; it is an island about 3 km by 2 km (1.8 mi by 1.2 mi) off the northern tip of Grasö. The entire island is a nature preserve. Located on the north coast of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Örskärs Fyr . ARLHS SWE-052; SV-2125; Admiralty C6236; NGA 10280.
Engelska Grundet
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical tower. Upper half of the lighthouse painted red, lower half white. Henrik Edlund has a good closeup, Hartmann has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a distant view, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on the northwest side of Grasö and about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Öregrund. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-124; SV-2139.35; Admiralty C6243; NGA 10276.
Bellonagrundet (2)
1993 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 6.5 m (21 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with a red horizontal band around the lantern. Trabas has a distant photo, Hartmann has a page for the lighthouse, there is a photo (last on the page) showing both the Bellonagrundet and Djursten lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was destroyed by a storm in November 1992. Jarl Larsson has photos of the wreckage and of the new lighthouse (about 1/3 the way down the page). Located 500 m (0.4 mi) west of the Djursten lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2158; Admiralty C6245; ex-NGA 10256.

Örskär Light, Örskär, September 2012
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Wolfhorner
**** Djursten (2)
1839 (station established 1767). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); one long flash every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 15 m (49 ft) round old-style stone tower with an octagonal observation room and gallery; the light is mounted on the gallery rail. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Anna-Lena Höglund's 2023 photo appears at the top of this page, Eric Borälv has a good photo. SFA has a page for the lighthouse, Hartmann also has a page, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Peer Törngren has a 2018 photo, Jonathan Thörn has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The observation room is quite old; it appears in Huelse's 1923 postcard view. The 1-story wood keeper's house is available for rustic accommodations by the week. The light station also includes a popular café, with music on many evenings. Located on the west side of the island of Grasö, about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of Öregrund. Accessible by ferry. Site open, tower apparently open for climbing daily during the summer season. . ARLHS SWE-116; SV-2152; Admiralty C6244; NGA 10248.
** Lightship 23 Västra Banken
1901 (Bergsunds Mekaniska Verkstad, Stockholm). Decommissioned 1970. Originally a 28 m (89 ft) steel lightship; light tower with lantern and gallery, painted red, and superstructure, painted white. The superstructure and light tower are on display in an Öresund park. Isak Bergdahl's photo is at right, Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. The hull of the ship, with a different light tower, is now at the Caribbean island of Grenada, where it is part of Le Phare Bleu Marina and Resort. Site open, and what remains of the ship is open. ARLHS SWE-256.
Dummelgrund
1940. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) octagonal lantern mounted on a round concrete pier. Lantern painted white with an orange horizontal band; pier painted black. Trabas has a photo, Hartmann has a page for the lighthouse, Google has a distant street view from the nearby ferry terminal, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the harbor of Öregrund. Accessible only by boat, but there are good views from shore. Site open, tower closed. SV-2285; Admiralty C6274; ex-NGA 10228.
* [Tolvöregrundet Bifyr (1) (lantern)]
1940. Round white lantern displayed outside the Öregrunds Sjöfartsmuseum in Öregrund. Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. Site open.
Tolvöregrundet Övre
1940. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); quick-flashing white light. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower. The tower also carries a rectangular horizontally slatted daymark painted red. This light is the rear light for the inbound Jössen Range and the outbound Käringö Range, both guiding vessels in the Svartklubbsleden, a passage leading northwest to the town of Öregrund. Google has a satellite view. Located about 3 km (2 mi) east of Lackevik. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2253; Admiralty C6260.1; NGA 10192.
Lightship 23
Superstructure of Lightship Västra Banken, Öregrund, June 2011
ex-Flickr Creative Commons photo by Isak Bergdahl
Tolvöregrundet Bifyr (2)
Date unknown (station established 1940). Active; focal plane 8 (26 ft); flash every 3 s, red, white or green depending on direction. Light mounted on a 1-story storage shed. This light guides vessels entering the Svartklubbsleden, a passage leading to the town of Öregrund. The original lighthouse was a 6 m (20 ft) round stone tower. Located on the northeast side of the Tolvöregrundet lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2253.01.

Ålands Sea Lighthouses
These three lighthouses guide ships through the difficult passage between Sweden and the Åland Islands, which are under Finnish administration. The strait is known in Sweden as the Ålands Sea (Ålandshavet).

Grundkallen
1959. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three long (2.5 s) flashes every 20 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 34 m (112 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with two galleries and a helipad on top, centered on a round 2-story concrete crew quarters building, all mounted on a round caisson. Lighthouse painted red, caisson black. A photo is at right and Marinas.com has aerial photos but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This massive lighthouse replaced a lightship station at the south end of the Gulf of Bothnia. Located on a shoal about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Öregrund. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-024; SV-2187; Admiralty C6285; NGA 10028.
Södra Kvarken
1986. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical steel tower mounted on a round cylindrical concrete pier. Tower painted white with a green horizontal band. The lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. This light has the same design as the Märketskallen light (next entry). In 2004 a helipad built atop the lighthouse was removed. Södra Kvarken (South Throat) is the Swedish name for the narrowest passage of the Åland Sea; the width of the strait here is about 30 km (18 mi). Located on a shoal about 14 km (9 mi) north northwest of the island of Märket. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2196; Admiralty C6287; NGA 10030.

Grundkallen Light, Ålands Sea, June 2014
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Esquilo
Märketskallen (2)
1987 (station established 1985). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical steel tower mounted on a round cylindrical concrete pier. Tower painted green with a white horizontal band. Johan Fredriksson's photo is at right, SFA has a page for the lighthouse, and a distant view and a second view are available, but the lighthouse is not shown in Google's satellite view. It rests on a prefabricated concrete pier that was floated to the site, sunk in place, and anchored to the seabed. The first lighthouse was the shortest-lived lighthouse in history--it lasted only twelve hours before it was run over by an icebreaking tanker in September 1985. The entire structure had to be removed and a new pier and lighthouse constructed. (This light should not be confused with the famous Finnish lighthouse on Märket, an island straddling the border between Sweden and Finland.) Located on a shoal about 5 km (3 mi) west northwest of the island of Märket. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-2206; Admiralty C6287.5; NGA 10018.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:


Märketskallen Light, Ålands Sea, June 2013
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Johan Fredriksson

Adjoining pages: North: Västernorrland | East: Åland Islands | South: Stockholm Area

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Posted August 13, 2007. Checked and revised November 20, 2023. Lighthouses: 46, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.