Myrskyluodon Maijan saari
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Väderskär: the forgotten filming location of “Maja from Storm Island”

Väderskär island is located in the northeastern part of Åland, far out in the archipelago.

It was a filming location for the 1970s TV series “Maja from Storm Island,” which was based on the novels of Finnish-Swedish author Anni Blomqvist.

Blomqvist lived in Simskäla in the Åland archipelago all her life. Her first novel in the Storm Island series was published in 1968.

I had wanted to visit the island since the 1990’s when I became aware of the islands location. Sinve it was difficult to reach with a sailing boat, which was my main travel method those times, it took me this long to finally get there.

A good weather prognosis for a weekend in September offered a perfect opportunity to paddle there with my kayak.

You can Väderskärs location from the map below. The pink dot is where I started paddling (from Sandösund Camping). Btw they rent kayaks.

Väderskär sijainti

The story of Maja: life on an island in 19th century

The Storm Island story portrays the harsh life of the people living on a small island in the 19th century. 

Maja and her husband Janne moved to Storm Island when they got married. They had four children while living there.

They had to build everything from scratch and make a living while doing it. The sea and the weather play critical roles in their everyday survival. 

The novels are based on Blomqvist’s relative, who was called Maja, and who had actually lived in Väderskär in the 19th century.

The island itself is almost like a character in the novel, shaping the lives of its inhabitants with its ever-changing nature.

The setting plays a significant role in the TV series. It can be said that Väderskär portrayed the role of Storm Island, and it did so effectively.

To explore Väderskär, I went on a kayaking trip in September when it was calm and warm, and I saw the serene side of the island. I set off from Sansösund Camping, from where it was 23 km to Väderskär. The small pink dot on the map above is marking Sansösund’s location.

I approached the island from the south and decided to paddle around it before landing. What surprised me was how shallow it was on the southern and western sides of the island. In addition, there are underwater rocks everywhere. 

The whole area in this part of the archipelago is similar, difficult water to navigate. However, on a kayak, I don’t have to worry about shallow waters!

Towards Storm Island

But back to my own journey. I decided to leave from Sandösund Camping, Vårdö. I drove there on Thursday night and rigged up my gear for the next morning.

The owner of the campground was very friendly. He advised where best to put the kayak into the water and where I could leave my car for the duration of the trip. I was given permission to keep the car in the area free of charge for the entire two days.

The morning was just as calm as the weather forecast had promised. Right from the start, I was wondering about the Sandösund landscape – as its name suggests, it is sand-based and amazingly shallow.

A small channel has been dredged into the strait for boats, but there was only about half a meter of water just outside. It looked like the kayak was gliding over the sand.

I paddled from the west side of Sändö towards Simskälä and Anni Blomqvist’s house. On the way, I was amazed at how low it was everywhere – rocks and shallows kept popping up in front of me.

This is the reason why the waters are challenging for the larger boats to navigate – unless you know the area well.

I passed Blomqvist’s former home, which now serves as a museum. I didn’t stop because the museum was closed.

At this point I was about halfway through the trip and took a direction towards Väderskär.

The underwater landscape continued to be the same – shallow and rocky – but the view above the water was just what my heart yearns for: rugged and beautiful outer archipelago islands, smooth cliffs and magnificent islands as far as the eye can see.

Finally, I arrived at my destination, Storm Island. I first paddled into the inner bay on its southwest side – and again I was amazed at how shallow the water was.

I paddled between Väderskär and the neighbouring island, Västra Skäret, and paddled around the northern tip to the east side, where Maja’s home bay is located.

I paddled for a while while searching for a suitable campground among the magnificent cliffs. Eventually I found a suitable spot and landed. I had pddled 25.5 kilometres (13.8 nautical miles), just over five hours.

Shallow waters around Väderskär

Exploring the Filming Locations on Väderskär

The buildings constructed for the film are located on the eastern side of the island, nestled around a small bay that forms a natural harbour.

I landed my kayak beside the weathered boatshed, the same shoreline where the characters once stepped ashore. The familiar jetty that had featured so often in the series was gone now, reclaimed by time and tide.

The boathouse itself had clearly seen better days: its roof was missing entirely, and time had taken its toll on the wooden frame.

In the series, you could see the main house from the boatshed. But now, after more than 50 years, nature has crept in.

Tall grasses sway in the sea breeze, and a tangle of trees blocks much of the view. What was once a clear sightline between buildings has turned into a soft wall of green.

Standing there was like stepping through the screen and into the story. I could almost see Janne’s boat on the jetty, and feel the presence of Maja as she gazed out to sea.

Below are photos of the boatshed. The winter scene is a screenshot from the TV series –notice the jetty in the image.

I walked to what used to be the yard, which was now overgrown by hays and junipers. There were four buildings scattered in the overgrown hay.

The house was nearly collapsed on one side. Inside, I could find the bunk bed I’d seen in the series and the big fireplace.

In the yard, there was also a cow shed, a smoke sauna and a hay storage building.

House in the series vs now.

The cow shed in the series vs now.

You can see pictures of the buildings in this gallery.

Climbing To The Cairn

I climbed on the hill behind the buildings to see the view and a big cairn. I think the cairn is the one Janne had to tear down in the series during the war between the Russians and the English.

Seeing the location and the buildings nourished my imagination and I was sitting on the hill next to the cairn imagining to be Maja, who had climbed up to see the weather changes or if she could see her husband Janne coming back from fishing. 

I wondered if she was admiring the beauty of nature, or was living in such a beautiful place just survival for her. Well, maybe not for her, as she is imaginary, but to all those women (and men) who lived in the archipelago almost 200 years ago.

The TV series showcased a lot of scenery, and it was nice to see and recognise it.

Climbing to the cairn

Behind the weathered buildings rises a hill, crowned by a large cairn. I climbed up the slope, curious to see the view and stand beside the pile of stones that had witnessed both real and imagined history.

I believe this is the very cairn Janne was ordered to tear down during the war between the Russians and the English in the TV series.

Standing there, the landscape opened wide before me: endless sea, scattered islands, and the shimmer of sunlight on the water. The buildings below looked even smaller now, tucked between vegetation.

I sat beside the cairn, letting my imagination run free. I pictured Maija, climbing this same hill to watch the horizon – to read the sky, to feel the wind, to see if Janne’s boat was finally returning. Did she marvel at the wild beauty around her, or did she simply endure it?

Perhaps not Maija herself, who lives only in story – but the real women, and men too, who lived their lives here nearly two centuries ago. What was daily survival for them is now a kind of romantic legend for us.

The series captured the rugged beauty of this place so vividly. Being there, seeing those very same landscapes, brought it all to life in a completely new way.

Camping under full moon: a magical night on väderskär

I found a place to camp a bit north of the buildings. I found a mushroom (or two) in “Maja’s forest” and took it with me to the camp. It was a nice addition to my dinner. 

Later I made pancakes for supper, and after having those I was mentally and physically nourished.

But that was not all this island had to offer! I didn’t know it would be a full moon when I set on my trip, so it was a pleasant surprise.

The sunset was a delight in colour, I didn’t know which way to look, there were different colours whereever I looked and in the west the sky was like on fire.

After the sun had gone, full moon made the night magical! I was in awe of all the beauty and stayed up for a long time. A night I won’t forget!

Morning on the cliffs

In the morning, I took another walk along the cliffs. In the northern part of the island, there are no trees, just smooth cliffs and a labyrinth of little bays and skerries. 

I can imagine how the waves crash over the rocks here when it’s stormy. I am sure both the beauty of the serene days as well as the force of the storms fascinated Maija. (And again, note to self, Maija is a fictional character!)

The last Ice Age heavily shaped the Åland archipelago, which left a profound impact on the landscape. The retreat of the glaciers around 10,000 to 15,000 years ago transformed the region’s geography and formed the islands we see today.

As massive glaciers moved across the landscape during the Ice Age, they acted like bulldozers, scraping and carving out the bedrock.

This process created the distinct rocky terrain of the islands. 

The glaciers also smoothed out vast areas in the Åland archipelago, so today we can enjoy its smooth cliffs as well as majestic rock formations.

There are traces of the direction of the ice movement in the rock, as can be seen in the pictures below.

The highlight of summer 2023 for me was the visit to Västra and Östra Mörskär. This was definately the highlight of summer 2024!

Chek other paddaling destinations below:

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