FLORIESTAN

Protected Area

Bridgend Flats, Islay

Why dive here

With 112+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - FLORIESTAN offers some of Scottish West Coast's richest wreck diving.

Marine lifeBlue Whales, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 112+ species recorded

CharacterWreck dive · max 15m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

Floriestan. Now there’s a proper Scottish wreck, and one we always recommend if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. She ran aground in the fog back in '42, a big steamship headed for the Persian Gulf, and now she sits broken but defiant in about 15 metres of water, not far from Orsay Light. What we love about Floriestan is the sheer scale and the way she’s been utterly colonised by the sea. You drop down, and the visibility can be a bit… “Scottish,” shall we say, but when it clears, the outline of that massive hull starts to emerge from the gloom. It’s atmospheric diving, you feel the history. The stern is our favourite part; the prop is often visible, and the whole area is just thick with dead man's fingers and colourful anemones. We’ve seen conger eels poking out of pipes and plenty of wrasse darting around the twisted metalwork. Just be mindful of the currents; they can pick up, especially around the exposed sections, so plan your dive around slack water. It’s not a site for beginners, but if you’re an experienced cold-water wreck diver, Floriestan offers a genuinely rewarding experience. It’s a proper dive, one that stays with you.