Find out the ultimate reasons for Scuba diving in Scotland and the top 5 dive sites to visit. With tips and advice from a local, avid diver… whatever the weather!

When you think of things to do in Scotland what comes to mind? Climbing Munro’s? North Coast 500? Visiting castles? Visiting distilleries? I bet scuba diving isn’t one of them!

On the other hand when you say scuba diving, Scotland probably isn’t even in the top 10 places you’d associate it with. 

So you’d be surprised to find that actually there is a pretty healthy diving community and some stunning dive sites to be found… if you know where to look.

Chances are, if you have heard about scuba diving in Scotland it’ll be about Scapa Flow and the German fleet scuttled during the First World War. By any account diving at Scapa is phenomenal, but you don’t need to travel so far North to find some spectacular sites. There’s plenty to be found close to Glasgow, some only as little as a 45mins drive.

So the ultimate question is, why dive in Scotland?

“If you can dive in Scotland you can dive anywhere in the world!” – ok, maybe not strictly true, but learning to dive in Scotland makes going further afield so much easier. Between the sometimes-challenging conditions (low temperatures and poor visibility) and the need for a dry suit instead of a wetsuit (though some hardy Scots have been known to dive in thicker wetsuits during summer months) it makes for a perfect learning environment. 

The Challenge 

Diving is one of the most high-risk sports in the world, but done safely it’s one of the most rewarding. In Scotland there are a few added challenges; temperature, visibility, dry suits, etc. But for me the challenges are far outweighed by the potential rewards. The extra challenge adds to the achievement. It’s a bit like climbing challenging mountains, the adrenaline rush is addictive!

Whole New World 

Cheesy yes, but also so true! When you think of Scottish scenery you think of untamed epic mountain landscapes and rugged beautiful ocean views. But take a dive beneath the waves and the world you enter can be just as magical and teeming with life.

New Skills 

Scuba diving itself leads to a whole new skillset. But it’s only when you really step out of your comfort zone can you get to push yourself to your limits and really hone the skills you’ve learnt. We rarely have crystal clear 30m+ visibility you see on film, so things like underwater navigation is key!

Appreciate the World Around You 

When you’re floating in a totally alien environment, one where humans aren’t adapted to survive, and you observe the goings on around you, you get a true sense of nature and her unbelievable beauty. Blue Planet was such an amazing piece which really brought the sub aqua world into the public’s eye, but until you experience it first-hand it is so hard to comprehend the sheer scale of her beauty.

Amazing for Mental Health 

All mental health is different, and everyone finds their own ways to deal with their issues. For me one of the things that helped the most was scuba diving. For 40 to 60 minutes you enter a world free from distractions. For that period of time you completely switch off from the modern world and simply focus on your buddy, your breathing and the beauty. For me nothing else comes close to the relaxation I get from diving.

Amazing People 

As in all walks of life you meet great people, but it seems the dive community is something special. Maybe it’s the high-risk environment and the challenges of the sport, but for whatever reason, almost everyone I’ve met have been so welcoming and helpful. The more people you meet, the more experience you gain.  

Ross wearing our Yugen bobble hat to keep warm between dives! 

Raised Awareness of Environmental Damage 

If you’ve got social media then at some point, I’m sure you’ll have come across the videos of plastic pollution. It’s usually people diving or swimming in quite literally a sea of our waste in some far flung tropical paradise where the stark contrast is horrifying. But like a lot of things that doesn’t affect us directly we tend to brush it off. Diving in Scotland has opened my eyes to the damage we as humans can do to the environment, not abroad but right here on our own doorstep. Nothing for me has hit home more than the “Bag for Life” I found floating at 20m. In the gloom I was convinced it was a stunning huge jelly fish. It’s not difficult to see how whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc. can mistake bags for food and end up consuming them. I’m no eco-warrior by any stretch of the imagination but it does make you consider your own impact.

Give Back to Nature 

Diving gives you a whole new experience of nature and seeing the impact we as humans have is quite startling. There are so many initiatives running to help protect it, but for most of us we don’t hear about them. Diving gives you the opportunity to get involved in helping give back. There’s a UK wide group called Seasearch who are an organisation that, with divers help, document and record the changes in aquatic life off our coasts. This information is then used to identify potential risks and changes to the environment. They inform the government and help to recommend areas where fishing, dredging or salmon farming could be becoming an issue. Local clubs also frequently arrange beach/dive site clean ups both above and below the waves. 

History 

If there is one thing, we have in abundance in Scotland its history and some of our lesser known stories can be found under the waves. From sunken WW2 wrecks to legends of Spanish Galleons, there is so much to be found in our sea lochs and off our rugged coastline. Local knowledge is key and we Scots love to spin a good tale. There’s nothing more exciting than diving into the depths and seeing a wreck slowly materialise out of the gloom. It’s amazing to see Mother Nature reclaim these human creations and the life that grows on these impressive structures. 

I can’t pretend to be an expert in Scottish dive sites, there are many people with far more experience/knowledge than myself. One of the best places to start your search for potential sites though is a website called “Finstrokes”. It has a list of LOTS of sites across the whole of Scotland with information such as difficulty, parking and some even have maps; it’s essentially “Walkhighlands” but for scuba diving. It’s a good place to start, but nothing quite beats local knowledge and reaching out to local dive clubs and shops is highly recommended! We’re pretty welcoming people, you never know, you might even find yourself with someone willing to take you out!

My personal top 5 dive sites (not in any order):

Slates (Ballachulish) 

Shore dive just off of the A82 after Glencoe. Coming from Glasgow you get the majestic drive across Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe and then treated to an equally beautiful wall dive.

St Catherine’s (Loch Fyne) 

Shore dive on the banks of Loch Fyne, directly across from Inveraray. It’s an extremely popular site due to it being relatively easy diving with good access and nice rocky reef.

SS Breda (Oban) 

Boat dive. The SS Breda was a Dutch cargo ship that was sunk just off the coast of Oban in 1940. She lies at depths between 10 and 33m and is easily accessible to all levels of divers. She is one of the most intact coastal wrecks in Scotland and is teeming with life. A boat is required to dive her.

Akka (Clyde) 

Boat dive. The Clyde is one of the busiest shipping lanes in Scotland and has been for hundreds of years. As a result, unfortunately there have been many a ship lost in the waters around the Clyde. The Akka sank off the coast of Dunoon in 1956 and now lies between 20 and 40m. Much like the Breda she is teeming with life. Again, a boat is required to dive her but she is well worth the visit and the guys at Wreckspeditions Dive Charters are brilliant.

Farnes Islands (Seahouses) 

Boat dive. Ok… so not technically in Scotland, but I couldn’t not mention diving with the seals. Farnes Islands are a group of small islands off the east coast of northern England between Berwick and Newcastle. There is a large seal colony here that are used to divers and the interactions with them are out of this world!

A massive thanks to Ross for this awesome blog with plenty of tips for Scuba Diving. We hope it’s inspired you to try out Scuba Diving in Scotland! To follow Ross and Rachel’s adventures check them out on instagram @outdoors.rossnrachel

If you are looking for more inspiration on things to do in the UK, why not check out our Best from the West blog 

Happy diving! 

Yugen Explore