After another lazy row around here, we think about heading northwards again. The sun is shining and it is 28C (quite warm by Swedish standards) and we want to visit the small community at Rödlöga, which lies around 10NM north of Stora Nassa.



We took up the anchor at around lunchtime and set off. The wind is not strong, but the direction is better than it has been and we are soon approaching the island group of Kallskär, a beautiful group of 200 islands composed of larger marshy and wooded islands, rocky skerries and sunken rocks – the latter being bare and windswept with one or two small fishing cottages left.



I can’t imagine what it was like to live in such a remote location and I wonder how they could survive in the harsh, icy winters with no real shelter from the elements. There is only one harbour in the island group and it has quite a few boats moored there so we think that we’ll come back and check it out after the holiday season is over and we can look around in peace and quiet. For now we press on in light winds towards Rödlöga, reaching it in the early evening. Most people moor to cliffs in a small pond like place between two islands but as the wind is forecast to be almost non-existent we drop anchor on the outside of the islands in a small private bay with a few seabirds for companions.



Again the evening is warm and balmy, the water crystal clear to the bottom and we enjoy a peaceful sunset with our nightly G&T.

The morning is sunny and bright and you can see that it is another stressful day for the pets.



Rödlöga sits on the outer edge of the Stockholm Archipelago and got its name from the colour of the bedrock here. The word röd means red in Swedish and the rocks here are mostly made up of red granite, interspersed with a lighter red feldspar. This area was settled quite early, despite the very remote location and it was already a thriving community around the reign of Gustav Vasa (1496-1560) The main town used to be divided by a waterway, so you could sail right up to the centre of town, but because of rising land levels it is now joined together.



During the nineteenth century, the island transported timber, sand and fish to the mainland. The twentieth century saw small scale farming added to the economy and at one time there were 50 farms here, though only one summer sheep farm remains today. By far the biggest activity in this region was fishing and that industry continued until the 1970’s when the last of the old fishermen died. Today there are no permanent residents here, only around 150 people who come here for the summer months. The island has a regular ferry service to the mainland in summer and is a very popular destination for day trippers. And you can see why as the place is quite charming.



The village itself dates from the 1770’s and is very well and lovingly preserved. We took the dinghy from our mooring place past the area where the other boats were tied to cliffs and into the settlement itself.



There is a real summer feeling today and everything is fresh, green and fragrant in the early morning sunshine. The island is well sign-posted, which is unusual in Sweden. I’m never quite sure how they expect people to find anything here as it usually involves a lot of coin tossing and guesswork when you come to a crossroad – “Hmmm.... do we go left or right?” is a common question with no clue as to the likely answer. But here there were gorgeous handpainted decorative wooden signs. This one points to the bathing area (bad) in one direction and the shop (affär) in the other.



The houses dotted along the pathways and meadows create a beautiful picture. Everything is so green and alive that I had trouble trying to picture this place on a dark, bleak winter’s day. In the end, I found it impossible so I gave up and followed Lars-Göran and his faithful friend along the country path.



The pathway led directly to the main “town” which consists of a pretty and well stocked grocery shop and a small museum in an old house with a photographic exhibition of Rödlöga in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. A tiny café was situated on the waterfront, which also housed a small second-hand book stall which Lars-Göran zeroed in on immediately and for a few crowns he picked up a book about Magellan’s voyages around the world, so he was very pleased.



The fruit and vegetable section of the shop was set up under a marquee beneath a superb old elm tree out the front. Everything was temptingly displayed, with a chalkboard out displaying the prices. You simply selected what you wanted and paid for it inside.



This shop, Rödlögaboden is the most easterly shop in Sweden, being right on the outer edge of the archipelago. The fruit and vegetables were top quality, very fresh and the shop itself was very well stocked with everything you would need for summer. Surprisingly, they have no electricity on the island, so the fridges and freezer in the shop are run on propane and others on the island use wind generators or solar panels for their summer power needs. You can see a solar panel on the pier near this home. With the long daylight hours at this time of year, you don’t need lights anyway!



Everywhere we looked, we saw SUMMER! There were flowers blooming in every space with peonies and rhododendrons providing a slash of cool colour in gardens and the fields carpeted with daisies.



The little bays around the island were dotted with summer houses and people were out in the garden sunning themselves on this warm morning while old wooden boats gently rocked on the shoreline.



In several places we saw fishing nets hanging out on frames drying in the breeze.



What a pretty, idyllic place to spend your summers.