Ingmarsö

The Island That Was Many Islands

A thousand years ago, sea level was five metres higher than it is today. Most of present-day Ingmarsö lay beneath the water then — just a few scattered skerries. Land uplift has since bound them together into one continuous island.

There are several theories about the name. The oldest stems from all the lakes, inmarer, that once existed here: Inmarsö is thought to have become Ingmarsö. The island is still rich in lakes, with Storträsk, Lillträsk, Bergmar and Maren.

The westernmost part consists of the peninsula Brottö, the easternmost of Kålgårdsön nature reserve.

Cod as Tax and a Boatman's Cottage

Ingmarsö is first mentioned in a document in the land registry of 1539. The island's four farmers were to pay tax to Gustav Vasa — among other things, half a barrel of cod.

When Karl XI introduced the allotment system, the island was required to maintain a boatman with a boatman's cottage. The cottage was completed in 1694 and still stands today, at Norrgården.

Archipelago life was poor and arduous, yet the population still grew. During the 1800s, slash-and-burn cultivation was used to create larger arable areas.

School, Shop and Summer Guests

Ingmarsö has kept its own community services running unusually long. School instruction started as early as 1867 and the schoolhouse was inaugurated in 1901 — the building survives, expanded and modified, and today houses a preschool and library. The shop opened in 1887 and has been in operation ever since; since 1998 it has also handled the island's post office.

In the 1930s, summer guests began to arrive. They rented rooms from the locals, stayed at the guesthouse or built their own.

In 2006, Ingmarsö village association founded the Ingmarsö Norrgård and Skola foundation, which owns and leases out Norrgården. The foundation is the driving force behind keeping the agricultural landscape open — which is why the island looks as it does.

Things to See and Do

• Ingmarsö-Brottö Local History Museum — at Norrgården in the middle of the island. Reflects life on Ingmarsö and Brottö from the 900s to the present day.
• Kålgårdsön Nature Reserve — the easternmost part of the island.
• Finnhamn — the hostel on the neighbouring island can be reached from here.
• Stockholm Archipelago Trail — the hiking trail passes through the island.

The island is home to around thirty businesses: boat yards, restaurant, grocery shop with pharmacy, state liquor store and post office services, home bakery, carpentry and others.

How to Get There

Ingmarsö has no road connection to the mainland. The island is served by Waxholmsbolaget, Cinderellabåtarna and water taxi, to two regular piers: Ingmarsö Södra and Ingmarsö Norra. Which pier you should go to depends on where on the island you are headed — check before you book.