SOUTH WEST SCOTLAND
An introduction
From the Solway Firth to Ardnamurchan Point, including the Sound of Mull
Bounded by England in the south, Ardnamurchan point in the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west the South of Scotland offers some of the most varied and dramatic scenery in the United Kingdom. The area is famed for walking, caving, climbing and Skiing, with the Gulf Stream giving this coast a temperate oceanic climate, unusual for a country so far north, it is also an idyllic place to dive.
Scotland's land mass includes 787 islands an abundance of which lie off the west coast, only 62 of these islands are bigger than three square miles in area. Scotland is also noted for its lochs (the name used for lakes in Scotland) and sea lochs many of which intersect much of the west coast. The longest of the sea lochs is Loch Fyne, which penetrates more than 40m miles inland.
The climate on the west of Scotland is greatly affected by the high degree of exposure to the west although some parts are sheltered by Northern Ireland and the Hebrides. In the summer months 40/50% of the winds come from the southwest and west with local winds varying due to the effect of valleys and high ground. Confining dive trips to the summer months is always the safest bet, however an advantage of this coastline is that the shelter from Lochs and Islands mean that many sites are diveable even if westerly storms blow out more exposed sites. Underwater visibility can be excellent and may approach 30 meters in the summertime and even better the further north you go. The best weather occurs during the long days of late May and June but water clarity is better in August and September although there is more chance of rain in these months.
One cannot fail to be impressed with the scenic dives brought alive with soft corals and surrounded by small fish and other marine life against light coloured rock faces. Larger fish tend to be quite shy and remain in the distance but dolphin and porpoise groups can be a common sight especially around the outer islands. Basking shark are also regular visitors to the west coast and are an impressive sight as they drift by feeding with their cavernous mouths wide open.
Wrecks on the western coastline are many dating from the 16th century wooden sailing vessels moving through time to more modern vessels all of which make interesting dives having been covered in colourful growth over the years and attracting an abundance of marine life making it a haven for the underwater photographer.
Shore dives can be more rewarding than in other parts of the UK due to the easy access to deeper water close to shore in many places. There are various coastal and inland lochs allowing easy access where jewel anemones, sea squirts and sponges carpet the gullies and walls making this area one of the most accessible for good diving. Shore diving from various beaches and rocky headlands can be found where the depth shelves gently or in other cases it can drop very steeply down vertical or overhanging underwater cliffs. The Outer Hebrides, where very deep water is found and care should be taken, has a submarine wall running along its east side and a gradual slope to the west.
Cylinder filling is available at many places within dive shops, diving centres, local dive clubs and charter vessels but when visiting the more remote areas consideration will need to be given to taking a portable compressor. There are several charter boats available in the different locations ranging from the day boat to the liveaboard for 12.
This is a complex area with several coastlines and several large islands. The Firth of Clyde extending from the Mull of Galloway to the Mull of Kintyre has a great attraction to divers due to it offering one of the great concentrations shipwrecks in UK waters. The Clyde Estuary itself encompasses many sea lochs including Loch Fyne. There are also several islands the larger of which are Ailsa Craig, Little Cumbrae, Great Cumbrae, Bute, Inchmarnock, Holy Isle and Sands Island which only add to the diversity which can be found in this area of West Scotland. The coastlines vary from rocky headlands to industrial foreshores with Glasgow being a major industrial complex for Scotland. Shallow scenic diving can be found in the sea lochs but this becomes poor in the upper Clyde near Glasgow. Loch Fyne boasts a good selection of sites down vertical submarine walls. The Clyde holds in excess of 1,000 shipwrecks most of which are still to be found and the sheltered and deep water leaves these wrecks in good condition however due to depth although the visibility is good the water is dark. The most dived of these wrecks include the Europa, Greenock, Akka, Wallachia, Ovington, Kintrye and Beagle.
The Scottish west coast port of Oban is the gateway to some of the best diving in Northern Europe in and around the islands and inlets of the Inner Hebrides. The most popular areas centre around the larger wrecks of the Thesis, Rhonda and Hispania together with many other wrecks and impressive underwater cliffs and drop offs. There is also the wreck of the Aurania lying in 21 metres of water just a few miles west of the entrance to the Sound of Mull and frequently precedes a visit to the isles of Coll and Tiree where there are several more well known wrecks. The area around the Small Isles (Rum, Muck, Eigg, Canna and Sanday) is characteristic of deep submarine walls the most worthy of note are Bo Fascadale, Seagull Bank and Obreon Bank.
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UK DIVE GUIDES
Books and guides to help you plan, and to take with you - buy on-line.
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Coll & Tiree
Oban and the Sound of Mull by Chris Ingham
Clyde Diving by Steve Jones
On Rosa & Ada in the Firth of Clyde by Richard Watters
Sound of Mull on Gaelic Rose by Simon Nash
Sound of Mull on Gaelic Rose by Phil Leigh
A REDS cruise from Oban by Richard Booth
Diving Loch Lomond by Richard Knights and Mark Warren
Snorkelling Kenmore Point, Loch Fyne by Carol Reid
Snorkelling The Caves, Loch Long by Carol Reid
Oban - Can You OD On It? by Sandra Castro
Kelp
Waverley Ferry
Scallops
Diving Loch Lomond
The Port Napier
The Maine, Sound of Mull
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