Skomvær lighthouse was set up in 1887 and is a coastal lighthouse. In its time, the lighthouse has been a family-run lighthouse for three members of staff and their families. The site forms part of a fertile, open cultural landscape, and the many traces of cultivation that are still visible indicate the daily life of those who once had their home and place of work here. The lighthouse has changed little in terms of both the building and lighting technicalities.

The lighthouse is situated on the island of Skomvær, approx. 16 km southwest of Røst. Skomvær is situated within the Røstøya protected landscape area (set up in 2002), which consists of several hundred islands. The protected landscape area was established for the benefit of a natural and cultural landscape with its associated botany, geology and fauna. Apart from Skomvær right down in the south, the cultural landscape is largely unaffected by any major technical encroachment.