Utklippan – the lighthouse at Sweden's Bay of Biscay
Whether a lighthouse should be built on the rocky islet of Utklipporna, Hanöbukten, some 30 km south of Karlskrona, was an issue discussed frequently in the 18th century.
Two temporary coal-fired beacons were erected during the war against Napoleon, but these were extinguished after a few years. As Karlskrona was the home port of the Swedish Navy, the government did not want to mark out the fairway as this would allow the enemy to use it.
The present lighthouse building was erected between 1839 and 1844, and initially comprised a citadel-like building with a lighthouse tower and a signal tower. The lighthouse was illuminated on 15 November 1840. The lighthouse on the east tower was demolished in 1870 when a Heidenstam lighthouse made by Överums Bruk was erected on the west tower.
This lighthouse is 30.9 metres high and was manned until 1972.
Last updated 2021-04-06