Signilskär is one of the westernmost islands in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
, being part of the
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
of
Åland
Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an Federacy, autonomous and Demilitarized zone, demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1 ...
in the
Gulf of Bothnia. The island, along with Katajaluoto, Hamnskär, and North and South Västerskär, makes up part of the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
of
Hammarland
Hammarland is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.
The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish. of its populat ...
. Beyond Signilskär is
Märket, the westernmost point of Finland.
History
Signilskär was first described in a manuscript from 1538 as ‘Sancte Signilskär’. There is no clear explanation of its name, but various sources tell of the island being used as a place of refuge by some Irish and English princesses. There also might have been a faithful man named Signil who lived on the island long ago.
Its geographic location between Finland and
Sweden has always played an important role. On Signilskär lies a
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common typ ...
, dating back to the middle ages. At one excavation site, coins from the
12th century were found, giving a hint to when this building was first constructed. The chapel was later restored in 1948.
In 1545,
Gustav Vasa
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksför ...
made an appeal to the citizens of
Eckerö
Eckerö is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish and ...
to make it a protected port and a shelter to sailors. From that moment on, the island was most likely permanently settled, with the exception of two wars in the 18th century when it was under Russian occupation. The inhabitants mostly subsisted on seal hunting, fishing, and accommodating visitors. Moreover, they were exempted from
taxes
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, o ...
and
military enlistment
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...
.
Mail route
Signilskär received an important function in 1638 when a
mail route was implemented between Sweden and Finland, which then belonged to the
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually t ...
. Crews navigating the dangerous passage between Sweden and Åland in frail postal boats could end up facing heavy weather, in which case they could find shelter on Signilskär and wait for conditions to improve.
Optical telegraph
A thirty meter tall
optical telegraph was constructed in 1796 which connected Åland to the Swedish telegraph network. The most important function it served was being able to quickly receive war threats from the east (namely Russia). For that reason this installation was destroyed on March 16, 1809 by Russian soldiers during the
Finnish War
The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a res ...
.
Current situation
Nowadays, Signilskär has no permanent residents. Next to the chapel living quarters there are still a few buildings, one of which used to be a
bird ringing
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...
station. Further on lie the remains of an old windmill and a shallow port that was constructed in 1846. On the neighboring island of Katajaluoto there is a mansion in good condition from 1867 with an built-in, but no longer active,
lighthouse.
Wildlife
Signilskär and the nearby islands are quite full of
deciduous forest
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, af ...
s, fields as well as a
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...
. Unique plants can be found on the island, as the
fragrant orchid and the
wall rue. The islands are frequently visited by birdwatchers, both in the Spring and during Winter. Among other types of birds, some
Sea eagle
A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus ''Haliaeetus'' ...
s have been spotted here. The surrounding waters are home to a population of approximately 200 seals, including
ringed seal
The ringed seal (''Pusa hispida'') is an earless seal inhabiting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The ringed seal is a relatively small seal, rarely greater than 1.5 m in length, with a distinctive patterning of dark spots surrounded by light ...
s as well as
gray seals
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" ...
.
Protected status
In 1994, the approximately 22,000
ha large Signilskär-Märket area, along with 62 other areas, were included in a list of protected coastline and sea areas by the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and fr ...
. This location is also a
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
site and has been a part of the
Ramsar List, which ensures the protection of treasured parks, since 1974.
Signilskär's entry in the Ramsar List
''Ramsar Sites Information Source'',
The islands border on two busy shipping routes in which oil spills and major disturbances of animals tend to occur, a potential threat to the wildlife, especially in the breeding season.
Tourism
There are no regular ferry trips to Signilskär, but local organizations offer charter trips.
Notes
{{reflist
Åland
Finnish islands in the Baltic
Natura 2000 in Finland
Protected areas of Finland
Uninhabited islands of Finland