Lighthouses of Sweden: Uddevalla Area

Lighthouses of Sweden: Uddevalla Area (Central Bohuslän)

Bohuslän is the coastal region at the westernmost edge of Sweden, including the coast between Göteborg and the Norwegian border. The region is included now in the county of Västra Götaland. Roughly 150 km (90 mi) long, the coastline of Bohuslän faces west on the Skagerrak, the broad channel that separates Norway from Denmark. It is a rocky coastline with countless small islands and skerries creating hazardous conditions for sailors. It's not surprising that it requires a great many small lights, most of them located offshore. This page covers the lighthouses of the central part of Bohuslän, including the municipalities of Tjörn, Stenungsund, Uddevalla, Orust, and Lysekil.

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). Aids to navigation in Sweden are maintained by the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket). The Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet) works for the preservation of the lighthouses.

I'm indebted to Michel Forand for providing excellent information for this page, including information from one of the books in his collection: Viktoria Ask and Maria Sidén, Fyrguide från Kattholmen till Smygehuk (2000).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. SV numbers are from the Sjöfarsverket light list 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.

Måseskär Lighthouses
Måseskärs Fyrar, July 2007
Creative Commons photo by Eric Sjostedt

General Sources
Swedish Lighthouse Society (Svenska Fyrsällskapet, SFA): The Society has a large web site, and some of the information is available in English as well as Swedish. An interactive map links to pdf pages (in Swedish).for each of the lighthouses, and there is a list of photos available.
Online List of Lights - Sweden: Photos of navigational aids posted by Alex Trabas.
Lighthouses in Sweden: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Schwedische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.

Tjörn Municipality Lighthouses

Tjörn Area Lighthouses
* Åstol: 1968. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two flashes every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the southern tip of Åstol, a small island off the southern tip of Tjörn. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0490.6; NGA 0684.

Stenungsund Municipality Lighthouses

Snöholmarna (2): Date unknown (station established 1920s). Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the southern tip of an island south of Stenungsön, in the northern end of the Hakefjord. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-358; SV-7970; Admiralty C0503.6; NGA 0756.
Galterön: 1915. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. Trabas has a closeup, SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, a 2009 closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory in the channel connecting the Halsefjord and the Askeröfjord, east of the island of Stora Askerön. Site status unknown (probably on private property), tower closed. ARLHS SWE-144; SV-7983; Admiralty C0506; NGA 0808.
Mitholmarna: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); four flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a distant photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island in the lower Halsefjord off Aröd. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0502; NGA 0752.

Orust Municipality Lighthouses

Måseskär and Kärringö Lighthouses
Måseskär (1): 1865 (Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam). Inactive since 1978 (by tradition, the light is turned on for 12 minutes at midnight each New Year's Eve). 27 m (89 ft) pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern, gallery, and central cylinder. Lighthouse painted in a red and white checkerboard pattern. A 3rd order Fresnel lens (1887) is mounted in the tower. There are several 1-story keeper's houses and other light station buildings. Eric Sjostedt's photo of the two Måseskär lighthouses is at the top of this page, SFA has a closeup photo by E. Hillberg and another photo by S. Björnson showing both towers, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is the oldest of three cast iron skeletals built by the Swedish engineer Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam; two survive. Måseskär is a small island in the Skaggerak about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Kärringö. Accessible only by boat. ARLHS SWE-047.
Måseskär (2): 1978 (station established 1865). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); three long (1.5 s) flashes every 30 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Four vertically slatted daymark panels, mounted near the top of the tower, provide a square red daymark. Eric Sjostedt's photo of the two lighthouses is at the top of this page, and SFA has a closeup photo by E. Hillberg. Located very close to the historic lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. ARLHS SWE-276; SV-8211; Admiralty C0448; NGA 0584.
Kärringö Kummel: 1929. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round solid rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one black horizontal band. SFA has a photo by D. Eriksson, Trabas has a distant view, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory east of the harbor of Kärringö. This light should be accessible by hiking from Kärringö. Site open, tower closed. SV-8216; Admiralty C0446; NGA 0572.
Oxskär: 1929. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal lantern mounted on a round concrete base. Lantern painted white, base black. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, Trabas has a distant view (note the Måseskär lighthouses at the extreme left of the photo), and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island halfway between Kärringö and Saltö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-309; SV-8211; Admiralty C0448; NGA 0584.
Hälleviksstrand Area Lighthouses
Porsnäsudde: 1929. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and Trabas has a distant view. Located on a small island about 800 m (1/2 mi) southwest of the Hälleviksstrand waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-8195; Admiralty C0444; NGA 0568.
Järnskär: 1929. Active; focal plane 5 m (16 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a skerry about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Stocken and 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the southeastern tip of Stora Härmanö. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-8223; Admiralty C0430; NGA 0548.
Gullholmen Area Lighthouses
Raö Övre: 1929. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by E. Hillberg, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the northern corner of the island of Raö, about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Gullholmen. Site status unknown. SV-8230.1; Admiralty C0427; NGA 0544.
Fredagsholmen (2): 1943 (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 5.5 m (18 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof painted red. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, and Trabas has a nice view from the sea. This light is on the northwestern tip of Lavö, opposite Gullholmen, or perhaps on a small island just off the northwestern tip of Lavö. Site status unknown. ARLHS SWE-141; SV-8247; Admiralty C0404; NGA 0448.
Hättan: 1938. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 9 m (30 ft) round tower, painted white with one black horizontal band. Trabas has a distant view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a skerry just off the northwestern point of the island of Stora Härmanö, about 1 km (0.6 mi) west of Gullholmen. This light should be approachable by hiking from Gullholmen. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-187; SV-8216; Admiralty C0402; NGA 0444.
Havstensfjord South Side Lighthouses
Note: The Havstensfjord provides a narrow, protected waterway running around the northern and eastern sides of the island of Orust.
Såten: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white, mounted on a round concrete base. Trabas has a good closeup, and SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on the east side of the Havstensfjord about 3 km (2 mi) north of Henån. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-8079; Admiralty C0412.5; NGA 0500.
* Sandvikskullen: 1907. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a promontory at the northernmost point of Orust. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0413.5; NGA 0516.
Kollholm: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on , 2 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on an island in the Havstensfjord opposite the Björningarna light and about 1.5 km (1 mi) west southwest of Bräcke. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0417.5; NGA 0832.
Strandanäs: 1915. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, Trabas has a view from atop the cliff overlooking the light, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the tip of a promontory on the west side of the Havstensfjord in Stillingsön. Site status unknown. ARLHS SWE-376; SV-7992; Admiralty C0512; NGA 0824.
* Svanesund: 1915. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted; lantern painted white with a red roof. Trabas has a photo, SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, another photo and a 2009 closeup are available, and Google has a satellite view. Svanesund, at the southeastern corner of Orust, is the terminal for the a ferry that crosses the Havstensfjord from Kolhättan on the mainland. Located about 100 m (110 yd) north of the ferry wharf in Svanesund. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-384; SV-7986; Admiralty C0510; NGA 0812.
* Halse Nabb: 1986. Active; focal plane 5 m (17 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) concrete post light with round lantern and a small gallery. Concrete post painted red; lantern painted white with a red roof. Trabas has a photo, SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of Halse Nabb, a promontory at the southeastern tip of Orust. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-174; SV-7984; Admiralty C0507; NGA 0810.

Uddevalla Municipality Lighthouse

Björningarna: 1907. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern, painted white with a red roof. Trabas has a photo, SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the tip of a promontory on the east side of the Havstensfjord about 1 km (0.6 mi) south of Bräcke. Site status unknown. ARLHS SWE-447; SV-8001; Admiralty C0418; NGA 0828.

Lysekil Municipality Lighthouses

Grundsund Area Lighthouses
Lysekil Area Lighthouses
Släggabåden: 1961. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 2 s on, 8 s off. 8 m (26 ft) round tower with octagonal lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete base. Lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located a short distance offshore at the western entrance to Lysekil harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-471; Admiralty C0392; NGA 0404.
Flatholmen: 1917. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 4 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, Trabas also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light is also barely visible on the point in the right background of the photo of Stångehuvuds Fyr below. Located on the eastern end of a rocky island just off the harbor of Lysekil. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-137; SV-8275; Admiralty C0390; NGA 0400.
Skalhamn Area Lighthouses
Hängdyn: 1949. Active; focal plane 5 m (16 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white with a red roof; tower painted black. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, Trabas has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the water about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of Skalhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-179; SV-8300; Admiralty C0381.5; NGA 0380.
* Stora Kornö: 1992. Active; focal plane 3 m (10 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) lantern, painted white with a red roof. No photo available, and the tower is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater in Stora Kornö, on the island of the same name, about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Skalhamn and 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Lysekil. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C0381; NGA 0378.
Svensholmen (2): 2003 (station established 1890). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three flashes every 9 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a view from the sea, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall of the original lighthouse, which was sold and relocated to Malmön, where is known as the Snurransfyr (see Northern Bohuslän). Located at the northwestern tip of Lilla Kornö, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Skalhamn. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-387; SV-8314; Admiralty C0379; NGA 0364.
Lindholmen Västra: 1974. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); red light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red; the tower also carries a rectangular red slatted daymark. The lighthouse is at the left of SFA's photo by B. Östling and in the center of Trabas's photo; a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. The several Lindholmen lights are used in combination with the Fiskebäcksvik light (see below) to guide vessels entering the Brofjord. Located on a rocky island about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Skalhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-470; Admiralty C0376.43; NGA 0330.
Lindholmen Mellersta: 1974. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red; the tower also carries a rectangular red slatted daymark. The lighthouse is at the center of SFA's photo by B. Östling and of Trabas's photo as well, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. The several Lindholmen lights are used in various combinations to guide vessels through a particularly complicated area of the coast. Located on a rocky island about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Skalhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-264; Admiralty C0376.4; NGA 0324.
Bläckhall: 1890. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round lantern on a semicircular concrete base. Lantern painted white with a red roof. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall. Located on the tip of a rocky promontory on the west side of Skalhamn. Site status unknown. SV-830100; Admiralty C0380; NGA 0376.
Tinnholmen: 1974. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. SFA has a photo by C. Lagerwall, Trabas has a distant view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the edge of the water at the north end of a small island on the east side of the Brofjord about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of Skalhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. SV-8320; Admiralty C0378.6; NGA 0344.
* Stretrudden Nedre: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted white; vertically slatted panels on each side of the lantern provide a rectangular white daymark. SFA has a photo by B. Östling, and Trabas also has a photo. The range guides vessels into a protected harbor of the Brofjord west of Skalhamn. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of Skalhamn. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-472; SV-8321; Admiralty C0376.5; NGA 0332.
Stretrudden Övre: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery; vertically slatted panels on each side of the lantern provide a rectangular daymark. Lighthouse and daymark painted white with a black horizontal band. Trabas has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The range guides vessels into a protected harbor of the Brofjord, site of a large petroleum depot, north of Skalhamn. Located near the southwestern point of Rixö, about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) northeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-473; SV-8321.1; Admiralty C0376.51; NGA 0336.
Kåvra: 1974. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and upper and lower galleries, painted white. SFA has a photo by B. Östling, Trabas has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the water about 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Malmön and the same distance northwest of Skalhamn. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SWE-467; SV-8319; Admiralty C0378.4; NGA 0372.
* Fiskebäcksvik (Övre): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. 8 m (26 ft) square observation tower with gallery. The building is unpainted white concrete. The light is the rear light of a range that guides vessels northbound into the Brofjord. Trabas has a good photo, a 2008 photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a satellite view. An October 2008 visitor also has a photo and describes the observation building as unused. Located on a rocky bluff about 1 km (0.6 mi) north of Skalhamn. Site status unknown. Admiralty C0376.41; NGA 0328.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Tanum Area | South: Göteborg Area

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