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HMS Natal

The HMS Natal, one of Scapa Flow's slightly lesser-known but utterly fascinating wrecks, demands a bit more planning but absolutely delivers. We love the challenge of getting here, often a drift dive if the tide is running, which just adds to the adventure. Dropping onto her remains, it's the sheer scale of the debris field that hits you first. Twisted metal plates, gun turrets scattered like forgotten toys, and the huge steam engines rising from the seabed – it’s a powerful, tangible link to that fateful explosion in 1915. Visibility can vary, as it always does in Scapa, but even in murkier conditions, the silhouettes of the structure are impressive. Look for the massive propeller shafts and the distinctive armoured plating; they really tell the story of a powerful warship. What we find most compelling here are the colonies of plumose anemones, their white fronds waving like banners in the current, and the shoals of coalfish darting through the fractured compartments. It’s a dive for experienced cold-water wreck enthusiasts who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a current. Our favourite tip? Go with a dive centre that knows the tides here intimately; it makes all the difference to really exploring the Natal, rather than just flying over her.