An excerpt from a Swedish sea atlas from the year 1795.
There was daymark beacon on Storskär already in the 1790s. At the top of the beacon, a fire was burned in an iron basket hung from the end of a pole. The island was redeemed by the Finnish Pilot Service in 1848. A small pilot station housing three pilots was also built near the daymark.
The first daymark beacon was replaced by a new one in 1857. It was built on the highest point of the island. This hexagonal structure still stands to this day. The lighthouse rises 16 metres above ground level and thus dominates the landscape of the island.
In the 1930s, the pilots were granted a new pilot station, of which only the ruins remain. The older pilot hut has been converted into a summer cottage. The fishing village in the eastern part of the island remained vibrant for a long time, particularly in summer.
The Stubben Daymark (Fin. pooki) on Storskär Island.
A new pilot station was built on the nearby island of Lillskär
To replace the old pilot buildings on Storskär, a new combined pilot station and lighthouse were built on the adjacent island of Lillskär in 1954.
The rectangular tower has four floors, the top floor of which is the keeper’s watch room and the lamp room. The station was deserted when pilotage ceased, and the lighthouse was automated in the 1960s. After the end of pilotage activities, the lighthouse became a summer hotel for a time.
The new Stubben pilot station photgraphed from Storskär Island.
Learn about maritime cultural heritage and venture along the pilots' paths
The Stubben lighthouse community is a great attraction for those interested in maritime history because there are various remnants of maritime navigational aids spanning several centuries. There are also many stone structures related to fishermen's cabins and fishing activities on both islands.
It is also possible to walk along the paths cleared by fishermen and pilots and to discover various ancient remains, rock structures, and mysterious rock labyrinths, known as “giant’s gardens” (Fin. jatulintarha).
On the western shore of Lillskär Island, there is also a large rock mound which, according to a local story, hides a secret. If you wish to see the one who guards this secret, you must turn your back and throw a new stone over your shoulder onto the tall cairn.
A rocky cairn at Stubben, Lillskär Island.
Why and how is this location protected?
With its buildings and ancient remains, the Stubben lighthouse community reflects not only the development of safer maritime shipping over the centuries but also the early fishing industry typical to the Ostrobothnian archipelago. For these reasons, the National Board of Antiquities has designated the islands as built cultural environments of national importance.
Stubben in the Finnish Heritage Agency's register.
Visit
The island can only be accessed by private boat.
Finnish Heritage Agency's mapservice
P: 7052801, I: 259573 (ETRS-TM35FIN)