Scotland is completely surrounded by water and wonderful shipwrecks, and while it takes a stout heart to make some of these chilly dives, a drysuit and a brisk cup of tea following the dive can make all the difference in the world! No matter where you are from, and what conditions you are used to diving in, you’re sure to enjoy the diverse topography these wonderful scenic Southwest Scotland dive sites offer. Let’s take a look!
The Cliffs of Oban: Bogha Nuadh, Insh Island, Falls of Lora, and Lochline Pier
Of all the popular dive areas Scotland has to offer, the Southwest region is by far the most popular, and the area around Oban offers some of Scotland’s best dives. Many of these are punctuated by steep rocky cliffs that allow you a good look at some incredible geology.
Bogha Nuadh
This north-facing underwater shoal, which lies to the northwest of Cullipool, comes to within five meters of the water’s surface from its base at forty meters down. While the shoal has a fairly round profile up top, a cliff begins at twenty meters and drops dramatically to the ocean floor. Here, you will find incredibly huge anemones, as well as plentiful crayfish and sea cucumbers living in the crevices that pepper the cliff’s face.
Insh Island
Insh Island is best experienced at slack tide, as there can be a strong current at other times. Here, a deep channel with sheer cliff faces that drop to more than fifty meters below the surface provides an incredible rush for even the most experienced diver. To get to these astonishing underwater cliffs, you need to enter the channel on the west/southwest corner of the Island, and descend to thirty meters along a steep slope littered with rocks and boulders. You will see the cliff face below you, which is well covered with sponges and swimming with fish. Remember to stay within the bounds of your training as this is a deep dive!
Falls of Lora
This is an incredible drift dive that features a small cliff which runs from seventeen meters to thirty meters. A challenge even for the most experienced divers, this site features a down current. While the horseshoe shaped cliff is a stunning sight and an exhilarating dive, it is not colorful – in fact, it is quite barren. Still, the sun’s rays shining into the water here highlight the cliff, which makes an excellent photo.
The sea loch itself is much more colorful, although the current can rip at times. Look for starfish and hermit crabs, as well as tunicates and lobsters. Visibility is best during the winter months.
Lochaline Pier
This incredible cliff face is just about five meters out from the pier at Lochaline. It drops from ten to ninety meters and is teeming with lobsters! While only experts should descend very far along the wall as good buoyancy control is a must, there is plenty to see just along the edges. There is much less current here than along some other cliff walls, and there are plenty of fish passing through the area.
The Slates of Glencoe
This site is very popular with local dive centers, which use it often for training. As the maximum depth here is more than fifty meters, it is important to stick within your own level of training and experience, as you enjoy this wonderful dive around the slate and boulder slopes that outline the bay here. Shoals of fish swim overhead, and brilliant green seaweed shines in the sunlight, and waves with the motion of the water in a way that is both magical and mesmerizing.
You can usually see Pollock and Gobies, as well as Goldsinny Wrasse and brilliant Cuckoo Wrasse, Cod, and Dogfish, and even Dragonets, Mermaid Purses, and big red Gurnard on occasion. This site is normally very calm and is a great dive, even during the winter when snow is on the surrounding hills.
Loch Fyne: Kenmore Point and Furnace Quarry
The beautiful Loch Fyne is Scotland’s second longest sea loch, at forty-one miles. Since it is less popular than Oban and the Western Isles, it offers intriguing, unhurried underwater vistas throughout. You can dive Loch Fyne year-round, as it is well sheltered; and, while there are not a lot of facilities to be found, this is an excellent area to visit. Between June and August you have an excellent chance to see Basking sharks; however they can be skittish and will usually flee before you come too close.
Kenmore Point
Kenmore Point is located to the south of Inveraray, and is accessed from shore, from either side of the little village here. The area along the loch is private property, however there is a rough gravel beach to the south that makes a good entry and exit point. Here, the beach slopes away and heads toward the vertical cliffs which are actually part of a fault line. Look for crabs and whelks, scallops and dragonets here, and enjoy the sight of the anemones that extend their tentacles into the glimmering sunlight above.
If you decide to dive Kenmore Point from the seaward side, you can get to the wall at two meters and follow it for a short distance, until you get to some rocky fissures that hold massive dahlia anemones and lovely sponges, as well as feather stars, brittle stars, and sea squirts. The lobster population is excellent here, while lobsters are less common on the wall that can be accessed from shore.
Furnace Quarry
Furnace Quarry is one of Loch Fyne’s most intriguing sites, with the wreck of an old B-200 and plenty of curious Ballin Wrasse, which will swim right up to you. There are also bigger fish beneath the boulders, and sleeping congers that curl up like cats to nap on the seabed here.
The site is entered via a pier, which is part of a working quarry’s property. All you need to do to dive here is ask permission from the workers, who will show you where to park and point out the entries, of which there are three. One is off a wooden pier, another is a shallow shore entry with a well-marked pathway, and the third is a jump off at the mouth of the bay. There is also a fish farm here, which can be reached via a swim that takes at least twenty minutes. Maximum depth is 55 meters, although there is plenty to see at shallower depths!
Although it is possible to see some of these sites on your own, it is best to hire a guide who is familiar with them, so that you can enjoy them completely. Local dive shops sell site maps and rent equipment, and it is possible to get boat rentals, as well. Once you’ve enjoyed a single dive the cool, beautiful waters of Southwest Scotland, you’ll be sure to want to come back to these scenic isles again and again.