Svinøy Lighthouse
 Møre og Romsdal
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| Location |
Herøy, Møre og Romsdal Norway |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 62°19′40″N 5°16′01″E / 62.327686°N 5.267073°ECoordinates: 62°19′40″N 5°16′01″E / 62.327686°N 5.267073°E |
| Year first constructed | 1905 |
| Automated | 2005 |
| Foundation | granite |
| Construction | stone tower |
| Tower shape | octagonal prism tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower with red trim, red lantern |
| Height | 10.8 m (35 ft) |
| Focal height | 46.2 m (152 ft) |
| Range | 18.5 nmi (34.3 km; 21.3 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (2) W 30s. |
| Admiralty number | L0650 |
| NGA number | 5600 |
| ARLHS number | NOR-042 |
| Norway number | NF-3000 |
Svinøy Lighthouse (Norwegian: Svinøy fyrstasjon) is a fully automated lighthouse situated on the island of Svinøy in the sea off the Stad peninsula. It is located in the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, on the western coast of Norway. The island lies within sight of the mainland and it is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the nearest island. The island of Skorpa (in Sande) is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to the east. The island is 300 metres (980 ft) east to west and 900 metres (3,000 ft) north to south. The island rises 35 metres (115 ft) out of the sea and is exposed to severe climatic conditions year round.
Travel accounts from the 18th century tell that local farmers would put pigs out to pasture on the island during the summer, hence the name Svinøy (English: swine island); this oral tradition was confirmed by a historian in 1931, but it seems likely that goats were put on the island in the summer.
A lighthouse commission of 1851 recommended placing a lighthouse on Svinøy but found conditions too difficult to implement such plans. As an interim measure, a marker was placed on the island. The plans for a full lighthouse were realized in the following decades, and on 1 September 1905, the lighthouse was finished and lit, with further construction finished the following year.
Quarters for several families were built, but the isolated island was never a popular station. At the peak, three families lived on the island, growing vegetable gardens and employing a tutor for their children.
During World War II, German troops were stationed at the lighthouse, and in 1940, Allied bomb raids put the light out of commission. It was repaired after the war and reopened in 1946.
By 1952, it became apparent that no crew were willing to be permanently stationed on the island. A crew of four was stationed there in a shift arrangement, and the shift arrangements eased in 1970 when helicopters were used to ferry staff and supplies between the island and the mainland. In addition to lighthouse duties, the staff also conducted meteorological measurements on an ongoing basis. At one time, goats were brought onto the island to provide a hobby for the inhabitants.
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Wikipedia