wreck

Log This Dive

YOUNG ERNIE

The Young Ernie is one of those wrecks that just keeps giving, a drifter sunk way back in 1941 after a tangle with another vessel, the Ben Idris. You’re not getting anything deep here, just 19 metres, but the character of the site more than makes up for that. We love a good collision wreck, and this one is a classic; you can really see the impact damage. Dropping down, the first thing that hits you is the sheer sense of history. She lies pretty upright, and you can spend a solid chunk of a dive just exploring the deck. There’s a noticeable list, with some great swim-throughs into the superstructure if you’re comfortable with overheads and have a good torch. Watch out for the resident ling, they’re often tucked away in the darker corners. The prop is still there, sometimes obscured by a cloud of small pollack, and the stern section is especially interesting, with lots of nooks for conger eels to hide in. Visibility can swing wildly here, like much of the Scottish East Coast. Our favourite dives have been on a slack tide, when the water settles and you can really take in the detail of the metalwork, now completely encrusted with dead man's fingers and anemones.