Rånön is an island in the northwest of the Swedish sector of the

Bay of Bothnia The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia (; ) is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia, which is in turn the northern part of the Baltic Sea. The land holding the bay is still rising after the weight of ice-age glaciers has been removed, and wi ...

, in the

Kalix archipelago The Kalix archipelago ( sv, Kalix skärgård) is a group of 792 Swedish islands in the north part of the Bay of Bothnia. The largest island in the Kalix archipelago is Rånön. A few of the islands have small permanent populations, but most are us ...

Location

Rånön is the largest island in the Kalix archipelago. It is uninhabited, but is popular with visitors in the summer. Rånö village is a former farming and fishing village at the north end of the island. The old meeting house can still be used, and the farm houses are now used as summer cottages. There is a large marina, and a coastal campground with cabins for rent. There are 11 farm houses on the island. Most have been renovated and are used as summer homes. Old farm equipment and tanks are still to be seen in the forest. Barns and former pasturage and hay fields are still visible in the north of the island. Small farm roads may still be used to walk or bicycle around the island.

Terrain

The highest point is the hill of Bodöberget, about high. The hill is covered with heather, moss and low pines, and gives a good view. Moose and grouse may be seen. The island has been considered as a site for wind power generation, as have

Vargön Vargön is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 4,919 inhabitants in 2010. Vargön is noted for Vargön Alloys, a metal manufacturer which uses about 2% of the electricity in ...

and Baggen in Piteå and

Stor-Brändön Stor-Brändön is an island in the northwest of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, in the Luleå archipelago. Location Stor-Brändön is one of the larger islands of the Luleå archipelago, with nine permanent residents as of 2013. It is a ...

in Luleå. However a 2009 report concluded that construction could not be justified given the relatively small potential capacity, the cost and environmental damage.

History

The fishing village dates to the 1600s. Later the resident population also started farming. In the early 1800s much of the original forest was cleared to meet the demands for fuel of the iron works in

Töre Töre (Kalix Language: ''te'or'') is a locality situated in Kalix Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 1,099 inhabitants as of 2010. Its harbour is the northernmost of the Bothnian Bay (and thus, of the Baltic Sea) that is accessible to ...

and

Strömsund Strömsund (; sma, Straejmie) is a locality and the seat of Strömsund Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,589 inhabitants in 2010. Stroms church (''Ströms kyrka'') was inaugurated in 1847.The Grand Hotel dates to 1909. The Court ...

. At its peak, the population was as many as eighty people, served by a shop and post office. To meet the needs of a growing population, the first school was established on the island in 1867. A prayer-house, called the Rånögården, was built in 1929 and 1930. In 1939 the school had only eight students. It was closed that year and students had to go to school in Ryssbält. The island lost most of its population to the mainland in the mid-1950s. The tenant farmers sold their farms to the island's owner, SCA, and in the late 1960s the last residents moved to the mainland.

References

Sources * * * {{refend Swedish islands in the Baltic Islands of Norrbotten County Kalix