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The Sawcut, St Kilda
To reach St Kilda is an adventure in itself, with an open crossing of more than 60km out into the vastness of the North Atlantic.  |
This ancient archipelago of islands and stacks never disappoints when it eventually looms on the horizon. Dramatic cliffs tower above the boat deck while clouds of circling sea birds fill the open sky.
Underwater, the scene is as exciting as that above the surface. Steep underwater cliffs covered in anemones sparkle in beautifully clear water. While there are a few shattered wrecks of long lost trawlers to explore, they in themselves do not justify the pilgrimage to visit these special islands. The real attraction lies in the submarine caves, arches and dramatic underwater cliffs, all covered in marine life.
One of the most dramatic dives is the Sawcut – or, to give it its Gaelic name, Na Sagarain – a large fissure that cuts deep into the spit of rock known as the Dun that acts as a breakwater to Village Bay.
This dive site consists of a narrow gully 1–3m wide and 26m deep, which penetrates back some 60m into the rock. For some unknown reason, the visibility is always superb inside. From the back of the fissure looking outwards, tiny divers are silhouetted against the open water. Outside of the gully, huge boulders litter the bottom, with a rich covering of red and green jewel anemones. As my colleagues explored further along the submarine cliffs of Dun, I sneaked back into the Sawcut for a last look. Turning around, I watched entranced as a lone seal pirouetted in the sunbeams that rippled through the water at the entrance to the fissure. A magical end to a wonderful dive.