Singö

Singö is nearly as far north as you can get and still be in Stockholm's Archipelago. There is a bridge to Singö from Fogdö and the Sea of Åland opens out to the east. Its proximity to the outer archipelago is reflected around the island in the prevalence of most of the bird species found amongst the skerries of the outer archipelago. Northeast of the main island is Abborren, a small skerry which is a bird sanctuary.

There are preserved buildings from the 18^th century in several areas and the local heritage centre is housed in a country manor from those days.

To the east of Singö is Svartklubben. It is the last outpost to the open sea and hosts a lighthouse and lifeboat station. The lighthouse was built in 1819 and is a listed building.

In the south of the island, next to the bridge, is a camp site with a café, cottage rental and a large beach.

- Backby is the best preserved fishing harbour in Norrtälje and dates from the 18^th century.

- Ellans beautiful fishing harbour is found at the very top of Singö and is well worth a visit.

- Mattsgården is the island's heritage centre and it is housed in an 18^th century country manor.

How to get there
From Stockholm take the metro to Danderyd Hospital and then bus 626 to Singö.
By car take the E18 to Norrtälje. Follow route 283 towards Älmsta. Continue to Grisslehamn and then turn off to the right for Singö.

Accommodation
Singö bad & camping

Food
Singö bad & camping, café
Mattsgården, café

Natural harbours
Norrängsfladen

Bathing
Singö bad & camping

Nature
The landscape varies from bare rocky coast to woodland, open meadows and cultivated fields. The calcium rich soil is fertile and the inland areas have been farmed for centuries. Around Bodaviken (bay) on the western side, the landscape is beautiful archipelago with varied woodland, pastureland and meadows along the coastline. The island is rich in minerals.

History
Like most archipelago inhabitants, the people of Singö depended mainly on fishing but the unusually fertile soil meant that they also did well on the produce of the land. The island was inhabited during the Middle Ages and there were six separate villages on the island in those days. Fishing was the main activity but there has also been a certain amount of mining. Lime, marble and even iron have been mined here. During the 18^th century shipping became a more important industry and the population grew.

Apart from fishermen, the island was also home to lighthouse keepers, boat-builders and maritime pilots. At the turn of the 18^th century there were up to 700 people living on the island. The Russian invasion of 1719 affected the island as it did the rest of the archipelago and most of the farms were razed. Memories of that encouraged mobilisation to repel an expected Russian invasion in 1809 but on this occasion no Russians crossed the Baltic.

The beautiful red wooden church was built in 1753 and has a magnificent altarpiece produced in Lübeck in the 15^th century. In 1955 the bridge from Fogdö was opened which gave access for road traffic. Since 1971 the area has been part of the Norrtälje municipality.