Björkskär 59'22 N - 19'7.9 E

Foto: Biarne Sjösteen, anchorage at Kråkvilan

Björkskär, north of Sandhamn, has had many owners over the years. Once upon a time a farmhand inherited the island after the owner of the tavern on Fjäderholmarna. The will had a quite unfortunate clause giving the right to the island for ever so long as he and his descendants annually paid 60 daler to the poor of Lidingö county. If not, the island would go to the poor people of Lidingö. And so it happened.

In the 1860 the farmhand got poor and failed to pay and the island came in the hands of Lidingö county. The main reason for this unhappy development was that the herring once again came in in abundance on the west coast of Sweden. And the herring from the west coast was much bigger than the skinny relative on the east coast and therefore in much greater demand.

In the anchorage, with its difficult approach, there is today a warden who works year round with his wife on his free time for nothing.

The seasonal fishing in the outer islands was once quite rewarding and therefore attractive for the people in the archipelago. Catches were salted and traded for grain from the mainland farmers during their trade trips in the fall. The excellent anchorages and the many traces of old buildings and other traces of the old fishing culture remind us of the hectic months on the outer islands for the seasonal fishing. The understanding of the conditions and importance of the seasonal dwelling in these fishing villages give us yet another key to the life of archipelago people in older times. It is of great historic and cultural significance.

Björkskär today

Björkskär today has both facilities for garbage, sauna and a toilet. But before you can take advantage of these facilities you must manage the many underwater rocks on the way to the jetties, and also in the harbour itself.

Anchorages