The top 49 dive and snorkel sites in Scotland, ranked by diver reviews, with maps and photos. Read the Scotland guide
The V83 Destroyer is a Torpedo-boat destroyer, V 67-84 class, built by A.G. Vulcan at Hamburg during 1916. She sank on 21st June 1919. She is a shallow Scapa wreck. She lies in two parts. The bows is in 8 metres and stern in 16 metres. She is a good second dive. NE side of Rysa Little island.
The SMS Brummer was a 140m long Bremse class vessel. It was built at Stettin by A.G. Vulcan and launched on 11 December 1915. She lies on her starboard side at 36m deep. NE side of Cava island.
The James Barrie was a 40m long steam trawler that sunk 29 march 1969. Hoax Sound, SE of Scapa Flow.
The Koenig is a 145m long vessel, built at Wilhelmshaven in 1913 and 1914. She sank on 21st June 1919. She lays upside down in 40m of water. Her keel is at 20 metres. E side of Cava island. SMS König is also known as Konig.
The Kronprinz Wilhelm was 177m long Koenig class vessel. She was launched on 21st Feb 1914 at the Germania Yard in Kiel. She sank on 21st June 1919. She lays nearly upside down in 38 meters of water. The highest point of her upturned keel is about 12 metres from the surface. NE side of Cava island. SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm is also known as Kronprinz.
The SMS Cöln was built in Hamburg by Blohm & Voss and launched in 1916. It was a sistership of the Dresden light cruiser. The boat was scuttled on 21st June 1919. This 5600 ton light cruiser is 155.5m long! It is quite impossible to dive the entire wreck in a single dive. The penetration is easy due to the ease of access, with lots of opportunities to get out. NE of Cava island. SMS Cöln is also known as Koeln, Koln, SMS Cöln II.
Usual Loch sealife of squat lobsters, anemones, small wrasse, dogfish, blennies, edible crabs etc. Lots of decaying crap like a car roof, washing machine, corrugated metal. Big gnome collection midway through dive. All upright and in good nick. Finish dive when wall ends and you are in a gently sloping bay to the south (to the right) of the houses. Easy exit through kelp onto a shingle beach. Obviously, you could do the dive from south to north - hence the THERE AND BACK name sometimes given to this dive. Loch Fyne. Park at the space on the right looking down towards Kenmore village there is space for 5 cars. Before the houses turn left down to the bay. Kit up on the rocks on the right and head out to the left. Underwater, turn left and head out to 16 meters, this is the top of the cliff face.
The F2 was a German Second World War escort vessel (similar to a destroyer). She was built at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel in 1936. This 75m long vessel sunk in 1946. This is a good second dive. At about 45m off the starboard of the F2 is a barge with an anti aircraft guns inside. Gutter Sound (near Lyness), between Fara island and Hoy island. F2 & Barge is also known as YC21 Barge.
Almost a wall dive with large outcrops of rock. Tops of the rocks are generally covered with Plumrose Anemones. Enter the water and head left along the wall. Max depth around 35m with a sandy bottom and a few Fireworks Anemones. Popular site for Edible Crabs and some fish. Shore fishing is popular at this site and nearby so keep an eye out for fishing line. A good pair of shears come in handy when releasing the Edible Crabs who often get tangled in the fishing line. Parking either side of the little bridge. Kit up and head under the road through the culvert and down the rocks to the shore. Not an easy access but the addition of some ropes through the culvert and some cemented steps on the rocks does help.
The Tabarka is a 20m long wreck. She was build in 1909 in Rotterdam, and sank in 1944. She lays amongst kelp forests. It's a great second dive. Burra Sound, between Graemsay island and Hoy island. Tabarka is also known as The Pollux.
Always dive with boat cover, you may find local fishing boat passing overhead or worse a water skier! Great for crabs, lobster, scallop. Learn to Navigate acurately. Remember those geography lessons that taught you about the bar that protects the entrance to a fjord? Well here you can dive one! Acces by boat from Lochinver or Achmelvich. Choose the state of the tides carefully, this is a tidal sea loch with a current except at high or low water. Avoid going too far into the loch and ending up under the fish farm - you will know about it...thick gooey sludge!
"History The Akka was built in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July 1942. Registered in Stockholm, measuring 133 metres in length with a beam of 17 metres and a draught of 7.75 metres. She was a cargo ship with six large holds covered by eight hatches. Her main deck was steel plated with a shelter deck beneath She was capable of speeds up to 12.5 knots, driven by 85 lbs. of pressure from two six cylinder oil engines. Her net weight was 3,053 tons with a gross weight of 5,409 tons. Amidships was her main superstructure above the engine room, this consisted of the galley, crew's mess rooms, hospital room. Behind these were the 1st and 2nd Engineers and Chief Engineers cabins. Flights of stairs on either side of the hull, led up to the lounge and saloon, to the sides around the funnel housing were officers cabins. Her main mast rose up from the rear of this. The next deck up being the boat deck where two lifeboats were swung from davits either side of the funnel, for'ard were the Captains quarters, above which the bridge deck was situated. The Akka came to grief after the steering failed following a course change, the engines were stopped, but the momentum carried her well on to the Gantock Rocks in the Firth of Clyde. The rocks ripped open her hull from hold No.2. The Captain tried to go astern, this only compounded the damage by increasing the hole to include the engine room. Within 3 or 4 minutes she heeled over and sank. Lifeboats did not have time to clear the suction, and the waves helped by the explosions from the boilers, sunk a number of them. Three crew went down with her, three later died and there were 27 survivors Diving The Akka lies in the position 55 56 43.0N 04 54 20.0W. On an even keel to the Northwest side of Dunoon Bank, she lies on a muddy slope facing down river. The Cardinal navigation buoy marking the main shipping channel is about 50 metres Southwest of the Akka's stern. At low water the depth to the bow is about 16 metres and the stern 24 metres. In 1962 a two boat drag wire cleared the waters above the Akka to a depth of approximately 14 metres. The best time to dive the Akka is at high water slack on a neap tide. In mid run the tidal stream can reach up to 2 knots around Dunoon Bank. Visibility can be as good as 10 metres, but still a little gloomy, so a good torch is essential. The holds do not carry anything of interest as she was transporting iron ore at the time of the sinking. The gunwales rise up about three metres from the main deck of the Akka, which affords you some protection against the current. The broken derrick stumps, now covered with sea life, indicate their position before the clearance sweep. Ropes and cables are strewn over the side supporting more sea life. The accommodation quarters amidships are left as a skeleton frame work, as much of the plating and the decking has rotted away. Great care must be taken as the frame work is now rotting and can easily collapse. It is possible to drop down into the hold in front of the bridge and exit through the hole which brought about her demise. One of the derricks has fallen across forward holds numbers two and three, this can be used as a good guide to lead the way to shallower water. Silt can cause a problem inside the wreck, so great care should be taken by properly equipped divers. Many dives can be made due to the size of the wreck." Source: http://www.admiral.org.uk/the_akka.htm Northwest side of Dunoon Bank
From the shore head up the loch a bit, used to be an old pontoon which you could use as a reference and lining up with a big buoy on the far shore drop down to 10m and head out from shore to hopefully hit the wreck. To yachts are wrecked here, connected by a rope from the bow of the deepest one. Otherwise it's a sandy bottom with not much to see. Visibility is generally poor but enough to take a look around the wrecks if/when you find them. Fishing line is a hazard in this area as shore fishing is popular at this beach. Due to it's proximity to Faslane Naval Facility the MOD Police will pay a visit to ask a few questions. Keep on their good side by telephoning ahead and letting them know where you are diving. Beach at the side of the road with some parking at the railing which overlooks the beach. Twin Wrecks is also known as Five Wrecks.
I've heard that there is a wreck quite close to the shore? Will update after my fist visit here From carpark, shore or harbour wall entry
Sister Ship of the SS Thistlegorm also sunk. The Thistlegorm is in the Red Sea. Large holds that offer safe penetration. there are more options for penetration but low visibility make this more dangerous. A few fatalities have been recorded from divers penetrating this wreck. Plenty to see on the outside of this wreck and it is a huge ship that sits upright on the sandy sea bed. Ardmucknish Bay, Argyll
As a conservation site, you will find plenty of wildlife for the viewing. The sea bed is primarily pebbly, and there are plenty of gully's for the exploring. A small islet can be reached and circled for the more adventurous diver. Head to Eyemouth Golf Course, Passing there you come to the harbour where Aquastars Dive Shop is located. From here go up the gravel bank on the seaward side. Here you can park your car, walk down the path to the entry point.
Dive into the current, and follow the sea bed out, the further out the deeper you go. Some good Scallop Beds around here Park up next to road on parking bay, the entry point is about 2 meters away. Isle of Cumbrae is also known as Cumbrae.
Easy shallow dive, with plenty of marine life to see. Enter the water and dive to the left along the reef wall. Park up on grass verge, then walk over a few rocks into the sea Millport Bay is also known as Millport.
Zentacle lists 10 dive shops in Scotland. The top-rated are Scuba Diving Scotland (5.0 from 64 reviews) and Kraken Diving (5.0 from 14 reviews).
