As early as the 17th century a daymark is said to have existed on Soklothällan. In 1725 it was on the verge of collapse, which prompted the burghers to head out to repair it.
In 1824 a new daymark was built, by intiative of the city burghers: ”Hällan”.
The state aquired ownership of the daymark in 1849. It is described as a octagonal, cut-off pyramid, which had a pointy roof on which a weather vane was situated.
It had a height of 71,8ft (21,5m) above ground and was red with the exception of the top third which was white, and a black roof. It could be seen from a distance of 10 english nautical miles (16,8km).
This category of daymark includes the hexagonal daymarks on Stubben (1857) and Mässkär (1858).
In the photography of the old harbour included in the exhibit, one can spot a pole sticking through one of the four roof hatches. To signal that the pilot had observed a ship’s request for piloting, a black orb was hung from the pole.
Thanks to the octagonal shape with sturdy interior construction, and the fact that the ”floor” is covered in large rocks and boulders, the daymark of Soklothällan has persisted through 200 years of rough sea weather.
