Ursholmen

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

Ursholmen light station

Location	Kosteröarna (naturreservat), Strömstad Municipality, Sweden
Coordinates	58°49′57″N 10°59′24″E
Constructed	1890
Construction	reinforced concrete
Shape	cylindrical towers with balcony and lantern
Operator	Stiftelsen Ursholmen
Light
First lit	13 November 1891
Sweden no.	SV-8608
Ursholmen southern lighthouse Ursholmen
Constructed	1890
Construction	reinforced concrete
Automated	1965
Height	13.5 m (44 ft)
Markings	white (tower), black (stripe, lantern)
Power source	kerosene, electricity
First lit	13 November 1891
Focal height	33 m (108 ft)
Lens	third order Fresnel lens
Range	10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) (white), 7.6 nmi (14.1 km; 8.7 mi) (red), 6.4 nmi (11.9 km; 7.4 mi) (green)
Characteristic	LFl(2) WRG 15s (2000–)
Ursholmen northen lighthouse
Constructed	1890
Construction	reinforced concrete
Height	13 m (43 ft)
Markings	white (tower), black (stripe, lantern)
Power source	kerosene
First lit	13 November 1891
Deactivated	18 July 1931
Focal height	33 m (108 ft)
Lens	third order Fresnel lens (–1932)
Characteristic	Exting (1931–)

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

• List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Sweden

References

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

External links

• Media related to Ursholmen light station at Wikimedia Commons
• Sjofartsverket Archived 2016-04-08 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
• The Swedish Lighthouse Society