Ursholmen

Ursholmen is a Swedish island and lighthouse located west of Strömstad town. It is the westernmost lighthouse in Sweden.

Ursholmen Lighthouses
Ursholmen Syd
Ursholmen Lighthouses
Sweden
LocationUrsholmen
Strömstad Archipelago
Sweden
Coordinates58.832620°N 10.990081°E / 58.832620; 10.990081
Year first constructed1891 (twin lighthouses Syd and Nord)
Automated1965
Deactivated1931 (Ursholmen Nord)
Foundationconcrete base
Constructionconcrete tower
Tower shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower with a black band at the top, black lantern
Tower height13 metres (43 ft)
Focal height33 metres (108 ft)
Original lens3rd order Fresnel lens
Current lensoriginal lens still in use
Range17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi)
CharacteristicLFl (2) WRG 15s.
Admiralty numberC0304
NGA number0096
ARLHS numberSWE-404
Sweden numberSV-8608
Managing agentStiftelsen Ursholmen[1]

History
Houses for lightkeepers and their families. Lighthouse and former lighthouse in background.

In 1891 two identical lighthouses were built on the island to replace two lighthouses on Nordkoster. It was the first time in Sweden lighthouses were built in concrete. In 1931 the north tower was deactivated and its lantern room removed, but the tower remains. In 1965 the south tower was electrified and automated. In 2000 solar cells was installed and the electric cable removed. In 2008 the Swedish Maritime Administration handed ownership of the towers to the Naturvårdsverket which already owned all of the other buildings on the island. SMA didn't find the lighthouse important for the modern commercial shipping any more, but they paid an amount of money to Naturvårdsverket for restoration of the two towers.

There is a very small lighthouse museum in a cabin on the island. The whole island is a nature reserve, a part of Kosterhavet national park.

See also

References
  1. Ursholmen The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved April 9, 2016
  • Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Sweden: Tanum Area (Northern Bohuslän)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 February 2009.


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