GUETHARY

Protected Area

South-East Islay Skerries

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) - GUETHARY 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 8m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Guethary is a proper West Coast wreck, not just a pile of plates. It's a big steel sailing ship, went down in 1914, just a mile south of Ardmore Point on Islay. The thing about the Guethary is its scale; 84 metres long, lying in only 8 metres of water. We usually drop in just off Eilean a Chuirn and you’re pretty much on top of it. Visibility here can be a bit variable, but on a good day, when the sun filters through that green Scottish water, you can make out the bow rising up from the seabed. It’s been down a long time, so the steelwork is nicely encrusted. Our favourite part is exploring the holds – they’re quite open now, filled with shoals of tiny pollack and coalfish darting amongst the broken frames. You’ll find squat lobsters tucked into every crevice, and the odd conger eel peeking from deeper shadows. It’s a shallow dive, so you get plenty of bottom time to really soak it in. This is one for wreck enthusiasts who appreciate history and the way the sea reclaims things. Just be mindful of the currents, they can pick up, especially around the point.