wreck

Log This Dive

ROYAL ARCHER

The Royal Archer, a steamship that met its end on a mine in 1940, now sits upright in 24 meters of water off the Scottish East Coast. She's a big girl, 88 meters long, and despite the rough seas she sailed and the explosion that sank her, much of her structure remains intact. You can trace the deck line, pick out the cargo holds, and often spot the propeller, which is always a highlight for us. Over the decades, the wreck has become a sprawling apartment block for local marine life – expect plenty of lobsters tucked into every nook and cranny, wrasse darting between the plates, and the occasional inquisitive seal poking its head in. It’s a solid dive for anyone comfortable with wreck penetration, though we'd advise good buoyancy skills to avoid stirring up the silt.