Expedition Lochinver

Sunset over Loch Inver All photos: Richard Booth Wreckage of the Scotia Diver swims through Loch Erisort wreck Plumose anemones on the wreck of the Margo Negotiating kelp on the Bermuda Discarded bicycle under Kylesku Bridge Echinoderms near Meall Mor

The aim of Tyneside BSAC’s expedition was simple: to locate and explore a number of wreck and scenic dive sites off the coast and around the sea lochs of northwest Scotland, using the fishing village and harbour of Lochinver as a base. There is little written information on this area, but, inspired by a rather tatty and fading copy of a guide to diving the area by Gordon Ridley, we began to lay plans for a club diving expedition to this remote part of Scotland.

As part of the expedition planning process, we obtained local marine charts, as well as information from the Hydrographic Office about known shipwrecks in the waters in the Lochinver area. We also bought a new sonar system from Hummingbird, the 917c, which incorporates GPS, the usual fish-finder sounder, and an amazing side-scan sonar, all in one neat package. This particular system was to prove invaluable in locating some of the wreck sites.

The expedition itself was based just outside Lochinver, in two rented cottages at Badnaban. The fishing village of Lochinver, with its row of distinctive white houses along its seafront, lies at the head of Loch Inver. Overlooking the village is the impressive mountain known as Suilven that dominates the local skyline.

Both of our club RIBs were located securely in the marina in the harbour at Lochinver. The harbour has a concrete slip, although it is only useable at certain states of the tide, requires a degree of planning when launching or recovering boats. There are currently no dive shops in the area from which either air or nitrox can be bought. In our case, though, two portable petrol compressors ensured that we were able to recharge cylinders as and when needed.

THE WRECKS

MFV Scotia

58°09.187’N
005°18.031’W

This 48-tonne steel-hulled fishing vessel ran aground on rocks at Cames a Mhaide in October 1995. Her five crew members were safely recovered from the stranded vessel. For many years, the wreck remained precariously perched on the rock it had struck, but recently, after winter storms, the boat vanished.

Nobody we spoke to locally was quite sure where the wreck now lay. Had it floated off and sunk in deep water? With no up-to-date marks or GPS coordinates, we set about locating the boat’s final resting place. After a frustrating morning diving on some remarkably boat-like rocks, we eventually located the elusive Scotia. The wreck rests on a white sandy bottom at 13m, not far from the rock on which the boat was originally stranded. The Scotia is still relatively intact and upright, although the bow has now broken off and lies shattered on the sea bed.

It is easy to enter the hull through the opening where the bow broke off. Some care needs to be exercised, however, as some of the fishing nets still hang from the ceiling area of the hold, presenting a potential hazard for the unwary. The bridge area is also intact, although it is starting to disappear under a thick canopy of kelp that has successfully taken root on the deck and superstructure. The winch drum for the fishing nets has fallen from the deck and now lies on the sea bed at midships along the starboard side.

MFV LOCH ERISORT

58°08.346’N
005°17.818’W

This wooden-hulled fishing vessel was lost on 27 March 1981 in tragic circumstances, when two of her four-man crew were drowned. The wreck’s final resting place was reported ‘as being in 20m of water west of Kirkaig Point’.

After some hard searching, we eventually located wreckage from this vessel at a depth of 9–12m northeast of Kirkaig Rock. The wooden hull has long since broken up, leaving an assortment of rusting metal work. This site is notable for a number of fishing nets that have snagged on some of the wreckage, with an assortment of ropes that float upwards towards the surface. The wreckage lies in an area of scenic gullies with sandy bottoms that reflect the sunlight upwards, providing a dive which is perhaps more notable for its scenic qualities.

MFV MARGO

58°08.688’N
005°17.475’W

Early in the morning of 12 November 2000, Stornoway Coastguard was alerted to the plight of the MFV Margo when it received a mayday call that the vessel had struck an unknown underwater obstruction and was taking in water fast. The three-man crew took to her life raft, and just 20 minutes later the Margo had slipped beneath the waves. All of the crew were safely picked up by the Lochinver lifeboat. Efforts were also made to attempt to locate the mysterious underwater object, but without success.

The Margo now sits not too far from some distinctive rocks in the centre of Loch Inver. This hazard is well marked on charts and also by a large beacon. Could it have been a catastrophic collision with these rocks that finally resulted in the loss of this vessel? Having obtained the marks from the Hydrographic Office, we were not really sure what to expect of this site. We located the wreck easily on the sounder and dropped a shot.

Descending down the line, we were met by the amazing sight of an intact trawler emerging out of the gloom. The Margo is listing slightly on its port side in 33m of water. The only apparent damage to the structure is at the bow, where the consequences of its collision with the unknown object are clearly visible.

Otherwise, most of the windows, navigation lights and equipment remain in place – a time capsule from the day it sank. Even the fishing nets remain neatly rolled up on the winch drum at the stern. What makes this dive truly spectacular, however, is the colourful marine life that is now colonising the more exposed areas of the superstructure. Large plumose anemones adorn the rails and masts. The Margo has the potential as a star dive attraction to match its more famous neighbour, the MFV Fairweather V, another lost trawler that lies in Loch Broom further down the coast near Ullapool.

For most members of the expedition, this wreck proved to be the highlight of the week’s diving. Nobody had really expected to find a wreck dive of this quality, having never even heard of this site before. Still, it is the possibility of coming across such unknown gems that can make expedition diving so worthwhile.

BERMUDA

58°15.010’N
005°11.310’W

Launched in 1927 for the Furness Withy Line, this passenger liner enjoyed only a brief ocean-going career. Struck by a series of calamitous fires, sunk, raised and sold for scrap: this list of ill fortune culminated in her parting from a towline and running aground on 27 April 1933.

While wreckage breaks the surface, evidence of the past salvage operation can be seen on the nearby shoreline, where rusting steel sections are still strewn among the rocks. This dive site is within easy reach by boat launching from Culkein Drumbeg.

The GPS marks put us close to the remains of the stern area of the wreck in around 13m of water. This is an excellent rummage dive, with lots of wreckage evident on a light sandy sea bed. There are also substantial sections of the wreck lying in shallower water, well hidden below a thick layer of kelp.

Some sizeable lumps of steelwork still rise defiantly off the sea bed and it is possible to explore inside some of this wreckage. One of our party even came across an intact porthole complete with glass still in place. Given this wreck’s relatively remote location, who knows what other small treasurers lie hidden beneath the sea bed and kelp waiting to be discovered by others who are prepared to make the effort to dive this remote and beautiful area of Scotland.

SCENIC DIVES IN THE LOCHINVER AREA

While based in the Lochinver area, the club also took the opportunity to identify and explore a number of other potential interesting sites off the marine chart. In particular, they were looking at sites that, due to their more exposed locations, offered potential for finding lots of marine life

'THE NARROWS', KYLESKU BRIDGE, LOCH CAIRNBAWN

For this particular dive, we used the RIBs to ferry divers from the slipway and deposit them under the archways of the bridge. This area is known as ‘the Narrows’ with good reason, as the water is forced between a narrow channel before the loch eventually broadens out again. It is the obvious place to build a bridge; however, the slim channel means that the full tidal flow is forced through a smaller passage.

We expected marine life to thrive in this natural turbulence and were not disappointed. The sheer walls that line this narrow passageway are covered in a rich growth of dead men’s fingers and anemones. In the deeper water below 30m, we also encountered colonies of jewel anemones. Immediately beneath the area of the bridge, we also came across lots of debris from the period of its construction, including metal girders, tools and even some wooden boxes.

This area requires a degree of forethought and careful dive planning. Tales abound of careless divers who have found themselves being carried down in a turbulent current to depths of 60m and more. The rewards of diving this site correctly, however, are rich indeed, as it provides a very scenic and potentially exciting drift dive. This site proved to be another firm favourite with the expedition members.

ISLANDS OF MEALL BEG AND MEALL MOR

These two islands lie close to each other, less than two kilometres offshore out in the exposed waters of Eddrachillis Bay. From the marine chart, we identified two potential sites: a large rock in the channel between the two islands, and a location on the northeast tip of Meall Mor.

The dive on the rock in the channel proved to be fairly unexciting, although a small cave was located which appeared to be a haven for small fish.

The more exposed site under the cliffs of Meall Mor proved to be a much more interesting dive. Here, the kelp line extended down in the clear waters to around the 20m mark. From then on down, we encountered rocky submarine cliff faces encrusted with marine life. This site was particularly notable for a rich variety of starfish, red cushion stars and sunstars, as well as other areas where healthy populations of brittlestars were encountered. This site undoubtedly provided the finest scenic dive of the trip.

VITAL INFORMATION

NEAREST HYPERBARIC TREATMENT FACILITIES
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
(Category 1 chamber)
Tel: 0845 408 6008

STORNOWAY COASTGUARD
Tel: 01851 702013/4

RNLI STATION LOCHINVER
Tel: 01571 844513

ADMIRALTY CHARTS USED
2502; 2504

GUIDEBOOK
Dive Northwest Scotland by Gordon Ridley. ISBN: 0 946020 04 3

Tyneside BSAC
www.tynesidebsac.co.uk