Scotland Scuba Diving

131 Dive Sites in 25 Destinations

Aberdeen (5)
Argyll (6)
Bishops Bay (1)
Burntisland (2)
Dundee (0)
Edinburgh (0)
Eyemouth (4)
Fife (1)
Firth of Lorne (3)
Fort William (5)
Glasgow (0)
Isle of Cumbrae (1)
Linnhe Point (1)

Loch Fyne (1)
Loch Linnhe (1)
Loch Long (2)
Lochaline (2)
North Ayrshire (0)
Orkney (57)
Perth and Kinross (0)
Rosehearty (2)
Shetland (2)
Sound of Mull (19)
South Lanarkshire (0)
St Abbs (16)

Scotland has arguably some of the finest scuba diving available in the UK, and areas such as Oban and Scapa Flow are not only high on the list for divers visiting Scotland, but are also consistently well visited by divers from all over the UK. Throughout Scotland, there is also a good amount of inland diving to explored, and in areas such as Powmill Quarry and Fort William, there is a good amount of marine life available, along with a large number of wrecks.

Diving in Scotland

The bulk of the diving in Scotland does tend to be concentrated in a few places, and the most popular of these are areas such as Scapa Flow, Oban and the Moray Firth. Outside of these more popular locations, diving is also available in St. Kilda, the Shetland Isles, The Orkneys and within the Mulls of Kintyre and Galloway. All of these can provide excellent diving given good conditions.

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Whilst the levels and variety of marine life in Scotland are relatively good, it is the multitude of accessible wrecks that make Scotland such a special place to go and dive. All around the coast of Scotland, and also within some of the inland areas, great wreck diving can be found. In particular, the natural harbour at Scarpa Flow contains one of the greatest concentrations of sunken warships anywhere. Lying in the waters of Scapa Flow are seven German World War One warships, alongside two British battleships, and a multitude of other wrecks sites in the area. Situated away from the Scottish mainland, on the remote Orkney Islands, Scarpa Flow ranks high amongst the worlds great wreck dive locations. However, what really makes these wrecks unique is the sheer scale of Scarpa Flow, a huge number of large wrecks within a relatively small area mean that it can take around a week to really explore the area in detail. With some of the wrecks measuring over 180 metres in length, and weighing over 20,000 tons, Scapa Flow is truly a unique dive experience.

The conditions for diving in Scotland can vary, and there are differences in the climate on the Atlantic west coast, and the more sheltered East coast. The best times for diving in Scotland are generally between the months of June - September, when the water is at its warmest. Visibility can vary, and in places visibility of around 20 metres is not uncommon, although in most areas it will average between 10 - 15 metres.

Throughout Scotland, there is a good amount of marine life and if you are diving here, you are most likely to encounter seals, conger eels, and wrasse throughout most of the coastal areas. There are a large number of dive operators in Scotland, who are both well equipped and professionally managed. It is therefore worthwhile talking to the local dive operators before deciding where to dive. Overall, the diving in Scotland is of a high standard, and in some areas is truly exceptional. In particular fans of wreck diving will find Scotland a real treasure trove of opportunities.

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