Holmöarna
Holmöarna(Swedish,literallythe islet islands) is an island group in theKvarkennarrows of theGulf of BothniabetweenSwedenandFinland.The islands form part ofUmeå MunicipalityinVästerbotten County.The islands have 75 year-round inhabitants[1]and the largest islands are Holmön, Ängesön, Grossgrunden, Holmögadd and Lilla and Stora Fjäderägg. Large areas of the islands have been set aside asnature reserves.
Nature and geography[edit]
The islands are situated in theNorra Kvarkennarrows between theBothnian Seato the south and theBothnian Bayto the north. Holmöarna's nature is quite diverse with areas covered in forest,bogsandlakes,and the islands have a rich birdlife. The islands' natural life is so special that the whole of Holmögadd, Stora Fjäderägg and Grossgrunden, nearly all of Ängesön and the eastern half of Holmön and all waters surrounding these have been protected as a nature reserve since 1980, incidentally the largestislandnature reserve in Sweden.[2]
Many of the lakes and pools on Holmöarna are former bays and inlets which were severed from the sea due tothe rising of the underlying land massby about 8.5 mm (approx. ⅓ ") each year.Strandbjerget,the islands' highest point at 25.83 meters above sea level, is found at Holmöns northern end.[3]
Holmön[edit]
Holmön(in the local dialect:Höḷmöʸn[4]) is the main island of the group and is still largely covered inspruceforest. Thepreservedmain village of Holmö By is surrounded by open fields separated by narrow bands of woodland and stone walls with the occasional heap of clearedrocks.
The main part ofHolmö Bywas built alongside Hallenesker,and about 20 farms adjoin the road leading south through cultivatedmoorland.[2]The village has a church andprimary school[5]as well as afire stationand a trade cooperative offering groceries, alcoholic beverages and petrol as well as apothecary, library and postal services.[6]
Byvikenvillage on the northwestern tip of Holmön hosts the islands' ferry and marina facilities. The Ship Museum is also located here, as well as a tourist information centre, restaurant, bathing beach and theHolmögårdenyouth hostel.Berguddens fyrplatsis a locality 3 km (2 mi) southwest of Byviken sporting a lighthouse from 1896 and some lighthouse keepers' cabins now converted to a hostel.[7]Gäddbäckssundet( "Jäbbäckssundet" in local dialect) is a sound located to the southeast of Holmön, separating it from the island of Ängesön, and offering a secure anchorage.
Ängesön[edit]
Ängesön island is slightly bigger than Holmön, with many cut-off inlets,pools,and bogs from whichreedused to be cut.[2]The road leading from Byviken, through Holmö By, terminates near Grossgrunden on Ängesön's southern tip.
Grossgrunden[edit]
Grossgrunden (fromOld Norsegrjótmeaning "rock" andgrundmeaning "bottom" ) was once an area of dangerous rocky shallows, but due to thepost-glacial reboundit is now a proper island surrounded by outlyingislets.
Stora Fjäderägg[edit]
An islet northeast of Holmön with a lighthouse, bird conservation centre and a hostel. The island is an important resting point formigratory birdson their way toAsiaandAfrica.The southern half of the island has a number of ancient stone markings shaped in the form oflabyrinthsandcompass roses,from the days Stora Fjäderägg was afishingandsealingbase.[8]The former lighthouse keeper's residence now houses a youth hostel.[9]
Holmögadd[edit]
Holmögadd, separated from Grossgrunden byGaddströmmensound, forms the southernmost tip of the Holmöarna islands. The island is best known for its lighthouse namedHolmögadddating from 1770. The entire island was a military shooting range from 1940, which was recently dismantled.[2]
Climate[edit]
The Swedish weather serviceSMHIoperates a weather station at Holmön. The local climate is very much influenced by the sea and as a result is a marine type of thehumid continental climateregime with temperatures similar to coastal areas ofNewfoundlandinCanada,but with less snow and rainfall. It could be described as the northernmost continental zone in the world under the Köppen classification due to the cooler winters than Atlantic Norway and warmer Septembers than less marine inland areas.
| Climate data for Holmön (2002–2018); extremes since 1901; sunshineUmeå Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
15.1 (59.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.3 (84.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
30.6 (87.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
3.1 (37.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.7 (76.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
4.9 (40.8) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.5 (59.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
7.6 (45.7) |
3.4 (38.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
7.5 (45.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
2.1 (35.8) |
7.3 (45.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
16.7 (62.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
11.7 (53.1) |
5.7 (42.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.9 (19.6) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.1 (39.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
2.4 (36.4) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −16.6 (2.1) |
−17.6 (0.3) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
4.6 (40.3) |
9.8 (49.6) |
8.8 (47.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −28.3 (−18.9) |
−34.0 (−29.2) |
−31.0 (−23.8) |
−21.0 (−5.8) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
0.8 (33.4) |
6.3 (43.3) |
4.5 (40.1) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−15.8 (3.6) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−34.0 (−29.2) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 48.0 (1.89) |
38.6 (1.52) |
32.9 (1.30) |
27.0 (1.06) |
37.7 (1.48) |
38.7 (1.52) |
43.8 (1.72) |
55.0 (2.17) |
50.3 (1.98) |
59.4 (2.34) |
60.4 (2.38) |
59.6 (2.35) |
551.4 (21.71) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 30.8 | 73.8 | 166.9 | 212.2 | 271.3 | 285.2 | 287.9 | 223.9 | 157.1 | 103.4 | 47.9 | 26.0 | 1,886.4 |
| Source 1: SMHI[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: SMHI Monthly Data 2002–2018[11] | |||||||||||||
History[edit]
The islands played host to fishing and sealing parties from the moment the first islands broke the sea's surface around the start of theChristian era.
- Around 1300 the seasonal hunters and fishers supposedly first settled permanently on the islands. This supposition is backed by a number oftoponymsfound in the islands.
- In 1543 KingGustav Vasastarts taxing the farming inhabitants of Holmöarna. Seven farms were found in the islands at that point.[12]
- In 1698 the Umeå postmaster was ordered to have mail destined forFinlandtaken acrossKvarkenby Holmöarna's inhabitants whenever weather conditions allowed.[13]
- In 1717 Holmön was plundered by theRussians.
- In 1760 the first lighthouse of theKvarkennarrows was constructed on Holmögadd.[2]
- In 1802the first church on Holmön,namedHelena Elisabethwas built.[14]
- In 1838 the current lighthouse on Holmögadd was built.
- In 1860 the SwedishRiksdagparliament voted to release the farming population from the duty to bring mail acrossKvarken.[13]
- In 1891Helena Elisabeth Churchbecomes too crowded and a new church designed byFritz Eckertis built on Strandsberget hill.
- In 1925 Holmön is designated a separatemunicipality.[12]
- In the 1930s regular ferry traffic was taken up between Holmön and Ostnäs in mainland Sweden.[15]
- In 1956 the ferry's mainland port of call is moved to Norrfjärden.[15]
- In 1957 Helena Elisabeth's church is moved toGammliaopen-air museumnear Umeå.[14]
- From 1974 the islands are part ofUmeå Municipalityand stop being Sweden's smallest municipality.[12]
- In 1980 Holmöarna are designated a nature reserve. The reserve is Sweden's largest marine nature reserve.[16]
- In 1983 the current ferry, namedHelena Elisabeth,is put into service.[15]
- In 1984 a birding centre is housed in the former lighthouse keeper's residence on Stora Fjäderägg.[9]
- In 1994 the first Holmön Folk Festival (Visfestival Holmön) was held.[17]
- In 1998 Holmön's Ship Museum is inaugurated.[18]
- In 2001 a youth hostel was opened in the former lighthouse keeper's residence on Stora Fjäderägg.[19]
Culture[edit]
- Postroddenis a yearly festival in memory of the duty imposed for centuries on the inhabitants of the Holmöarna and Björkö islands to bring mail and travellers acrossKvarken.
- Visfestival Holmönis aFolk Festivalheld in held every year in July since 1994.
Communications[edit]
Communications between Byviken and Norrfjärden on the mainland are carried out free of charge by a car ferry in the ice-free months or as long as the boat is able to break its own course through the ice. Once the ice has grown too thick to break, ahydrocopteris put to use, but being susceptible to pervading winds, it is often replaced with ahelicopterservice. The ferry ride to the islands takes approximately 45 minutes.
From time to timeHolmöslupen,a reconstructedsloopas was once common along the coast ofVästerbotten,sails between Byviken and Stora Fjäderägg accepting passengers.[20]
References[edit]
- ^Umeå Municipality; Inhabitants by subdivision: Holmön (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-29 at theWayback Machine
- ^abcdekvarkenguide.se: Holmöarna (in Swedish)
- ^Lantmäteriet'sonline map search facility (in Swedish)
- ^Västerbotten 1954
- ^Sävar School (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-29 at theWayback Machine
- ^holmon.com:Holmön's trade cooperative (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-29 at theWayback Machine
- ^holmon.com: Bergudden lighthouse (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-29 at theWayback Machine
- ^holmon.com: places of interest (in Swedish)Archived2015-03-23 at theWayback Machine
- ^abfyrvaktaren.se: Stora Fjäderägg Lighthouse (in Swedish)
- ^"Precipitation Normals 1961-1990"(in Swedish).Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute(Holmön code 14 047).
- ^"Monthly and Yearly Statistics"(in Swedish).Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.17 April 2019.
- ^abcVästerbotten County Council: the Town of Holmön (in Swedish)Archived2006-01-17 at theWayback Machine
- ^ab"holmon.com:postrodden(in Swedish) ".Archived fromthe originalon 2006-12-20.Retrieved2007-10-01.
- ^abVästerbotten museum; Gammlia: The church (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-27 at theWayback Machine
- ^abcMinistry of Traffic Ferry Services: the Holmön service (in Swedish)Archived2007-09-28 at theWayback Machine
- ^Västerbotten County: Holmöarna (in Swedish)
- ^Holmön Folk Festival (in Swedish)
- ^"Holmön Ship Museum (in Swedish)".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-06-07.Retrieved2007-10-01.
- ^Kvarken Nature Guide: Stora Fjäderägg (in Swedish)
- ^fyrvaktaren.se: the Sloop (in Swedish)