Gotska Sandön, which means "The Gotlandic Sand Island," is a Swedish island located north of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. It is not inhabited and has been a national park since 1909.
Geography
Sandön is located 38 km (24 mi) north of Fårö in the Baltic Sea. It is legally part of Gotland province and measures about 9 km (5.6 mi) in length and 6 km (3.7 mi) in width, with a total area of approximately 36 km² (14 sq mi). The island is part of Fårö socken (which is not the same as a parish). It covers the same area as the administrative Fårö District, which was created on January 1, 2016.
A church called Gotska Sandön Chapel is located at the northwest end of the island. As of 2019, both Gotska Sandön Chapel and Fårö Church are part of Fårö parish in Norra Gotlands pastorat.
During the summer, regular boat tours operate from Fårö Island and Nynäshamn on the mainland.
Nature of Gotska Sandön
The island is mostly made of sand. It has many beaches, dunes, and especially large pine forests. Except for a group of grey seals on the north side, there are not many large animals on the island. Mammals that live on land or in the air include mountain hares and bats. The island is home to many rare insects and plants, such as the Kashubian vetch and a few types of orchids.
Climate
Gotska Sandön has an oceanic climate that is warmer than expected for its location, even though it is far from large land areas. Nearby landmasses, such as the Scandinavian Peninsula to the west, Gotland to the south, and the Baltic region to the east, help create milder summers and frequent winter frost. This results in a greater range of temperatures compared to Fair Isle, a similarly isolated island located one degree farther north and farther from Scotland’s coast. Although summers are cooler than in southern Sweden, winter nights are among the mildest in the country.
Gotska Sandön experiences a noticeable seasonal lag. Even though daylight hours decrease, August is warmer than June. Additionally, March days are longer than December days but are colder.