ANWOTH - Scottish West Coast
Anwoth isn't just another trawler; she’s a proper piece of history, grounded right off Sanda near Sheep Island. You dive her right where she came to rest, a grand old girl built in 1915, now well and truly settled into the seabed. We love how accessible she is, mostly broken up but with enough structure remaining to give you a real sense of her past. The bow and stern are the most intact sections, offering great swim-throughs if the visibility is playing ball. You'll often find conger eels peering out from gaps, and the metalwork is blanketed in plumose anemones, swaying gently with the surge. Our favourite part is exploring the engine room remains – it’s a tangible link to the crew who once worked her. This site is fantastic for divers who appreciate a wreck with a story, especially those who enjoy close-up inspection of marine life colonising historical remains. Just be mindful of the currents around Sanda; slack water is always your friend here.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 55.294160, -5.574393
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Wreck History - ANWOTH
- Year Sunk
- 1935
- Vessel Type
- fishing vessel
- Cause
- grounding
- Tonnage
- 215 GRT
The Anwoth was a steam trawler built in Leith in 1915, spending two decades working the fishing grounds of the North Sea. Her career came to an abrupt end on a stormy day in January 1935. While battling rough seas off the Scottish west coast, the vessel ran hard aground near Sheep Island, Sanda, at the mouth of the Firth of Clyde. A dramatic rescue ensued, and all six crew members were safely brought ashore. The Anwoth, however, was battered by the relentless waves and was soon declared a total loss.
Lying at a depth of 0 metres, the remains of the Anwoth are scattered and broken in the intertidal zone. This is not a dive site in the traditional sense, but rather a piece of local maritime history visible to kayakers, snorkelers, and beachcombers at low tide. The wreckage serves as a stark reminder of the power of the sea and the dangers faced by fishermen in these unforgiving waters.
Marine Protected Area: Sanda Islands
Nearby Dive Sites in Scottish West Coast
- ACCORD - 9m (wreck)
- ADONO - 10m (wreck)
- ADROLIS - 5m (wreck)
- AGATE - 10m (wreck)
- AGIOS MINAS - 10m (wreck)
- AKKA - 28m (wreck)
- ALBIA - 10m (wreck)
- ALEXANDER - 10m (wreck)
- AMY JANE - 52m (wreck)
- AMY (POSSIBLY) - 38m (wreck)
- ANGELA - 5m (wreck)
- ANNIE JANE - 29m (wreck)
- ANNIE MC FADYEN - 7m (wreck)
- ANNIE MELLING - 54m (wreck)
- APERITIF 3 - 10m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to ANWOTH
- Aquaholics - ["PADI"]
- C&C MARINE SERVICES
- Eagle Divers NI - ["PADI"]
- Field Studies Council Millport
- Freedive Northern Ireland
- Fyne Diving - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Scottish West Coast
Home to 127 recorded species including 50 reef fish, 15 whales & dolphins, 10 seagrass & algae, 9 sharks & rays, 8 other, 7 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) - Sharks & Rays
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- Light-bulb sea squirt (Clavelina lepadiformis)
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Star ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri)
- Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs