Yxlan

Lat: N 59º 37' 14.03"
Long: E 18º 51' 19.23" 

Yxlan is in Stockholm's northern archipelago, with Blidö as the nearest neighbouring island, just over the Blidö straight. The island is quite long and narrow and the idyllic village of Köpmanholm, with varied buildings including large houses built for large traders with glass verandahs and small red cottages where pilots and customs officers lived when the sea route in Blidösund was the main artery for maritime commerce, lies at its northern point. August Strindberg has written about the place in quite a depressing fashion in Fair Haven and Foul Strand. He called Köpmanholm Skamsund (The Shame Sound) and he described the population most unflatteringly.

Yxlan is not a depressing place today. The island is mainly inhabited by summer residents. Köpmanholm and Furusund, on the opposite side of the water towards the mainland, are visited every year by thousands of boat tourists.

On the north eastern side, there is a place for swimming where you look out over the open sea across Gräsköfjärden. Nearby there is a maze built of stones. This is something that can be found on many islands around the Stockholm Archipelago.

How to Get There
You take route 278 from Norrtälje to Furusund. From there go Waxholms boats and public ferries straight to Yxlan. The public ferry goes every half hour until 9.00 pm. For other times ring 0176-801 80

Food
The nearest restaurant is Blidö Wärdshus.

Guest Harbours
The nearest guest harbour is in Furusund and with room for 60 boats, toilets, showers and sauna.

Bathing
There is a nice area on the north eastern side towards Gräsköfjärden.

Service Station
There is one between eastern and western Lagnö.

Nature
Yxlan is a 15 km long island that is only 2 km wide at its widest point. The landscape varies between broadleaf and evergreen woodland with a steep rocky coastline on the western side. Yxlan is somewhat more barren than its more fertile neighbour, Blidö.

History
The island is first mentioned in King Valdemar's description of sea routes from the 13^th century when Yxlan consisted of three islands which joined together as a result of the rising of the land. The inhabitants consisted of seal hunters and fishermen. The importance of Yxlan and Blidö in the Stockholm Archipelago increased in the 14^th century when piloting activity was based here to help shipping.

In the winter of 1571 a Swedish army were stranded here on the way to Russia. They were put up on the surrounding islands. When the ice melted and the army could carry on their way, the local farmers who had been conscripted into offering accommodation made a list of all that had been taken and sent the bill to the Swedish state.

When the Blidö church was built in 1656 the rectory was moved to the village of Yxlö and the priest had to row over Blidö sound to take care of his parish. According to the church chronicles from the 18^th century this sometimes led to a cancellation of a church service when the priest was fishing instead of conducting the service.

In 1842 a wealthy factory owner bought nearby Furusund in order to make the area into a large bathing resort for society but the plans led to nothing because of a cholera epidemic that swept through the country and instead, Furusund became a quarantine area for vessels on their way to Stockholm.

Towards the end of the 19^th century, summer residents began to come to Yxlan after first discovering Furusund and Köpmanholm. Part of the land was parcelled up into sites for holiday homes, mainly from the 1950s onwards.

Visit Skärgården
e-mail:  info@visitskargarden.se
Telephone: 08-100 222