Storholmen lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Storholmen Lighthouse is an active lighthouse
in the municipality of Giske
in Møre og Romsdal
county on the west coast of Norway
. This remote lighthouse is located on a tiny skerry
about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) due north of the tiny island of Erkna and 8 kilometres (5 mi) northwest of the populated island of Vigra
. The light is lit from the 16th of July until the 21st of May. It is not lit during the summer because it is unnecessary due to the midnight sun
in this part of the world.
The lighthouse was only accessible by boat in calm seas during the summer, since boats cannot land on the tiny island. Goods and people had to be hoisted onto the island from the sea. From 1970 and until the lighthouse was automated in 1980, transport to the lighthouse was done by helicopter
. The narrow 4 metre landing pad could only be used by very experienced pilots.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in the municipality of Giske
Giske
Giske is an island and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the Sunnmøre traditional district. The municipal center is the village of Nordstrand on the island of Valderøy. Other population centers include the villages of Roald and...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county on the west coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. This remote lighthouse is located on a tiny skerry
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) due north of the tiny island of Erkna and 8 kilometres (5 mi) northwest of the populated island of Vigra
Vigra
Vigra is an island and former municipality on the west coast of Norway. It is in the present-day municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The former municipality was made up of the island of Vigra along with many smaller islets surrounding it...
. The light is lit from the 16th of July until the 21st of May. It is not lit during the summer because it is unnecessary due to the midnight sun
Midnight sun
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous...
in this part of the world.
The lighthouse was only accessible by boat in calm seas during the summer, since boats cannot land on the tiny island. Goods and people had to be hoisted onto the island from the sea. From 1970 and until the lighthouse was automated in 1980, transport to the lighthouse was done by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. The narrow 4 metre landing pad could only be used by very experienced pilots.