Utklippan
Utklippan is a Swedish lighthouse and the name of two small islands, Södraskär and Norraskär. It has been a light station since 1789 when a basket light was in use. The current tower replaced an older tower built in 1840 on top of an old fortress. The flame ran on colza oil. In 1887 the colza oil lamp was replaced with a kerosene lamp. It has been powered electrically since 1948.
The Swedish Maritime Administration owns the lighthouse. In the summer of 2008 SMA reported that the white main light had been deactivated, as it was no longer considered to be an important lighthouse for commercial shipping. A small passing light remains in use. In 1997 Utklippan had 17 nights with overnight lows above, which is the second highest number for any Swedish weather station in one summer.
There are five other houses on the island, owned by the Swedish National Property Board. One of them is a small hostel and one a birding station, as the island is rich in birdlife.
