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HMS CHARLES ASTIE (POSSIBLY)

The HMS *Charles Astie* (probably) is one of those wrecks that really gets under your skin. Lying at 53m on the Scottish West Coast, this non-standard Mersey-type trawler, purpose-built for the Admiralty in 1917, is a proper technical dive. We’re talking about a cold, dark plunge into history, a stark contrast to any blue-water site. It’s definitely not one for the faint-hearted. You’re descending into deep, often gloomy water, where the ambient light barely penetrates. But what you find down there is exceptional: an upright, intact steamship, 42.2m long, with its triple-expansion engine still largely in place. The whole ship is covered in a thick carpet of plumose anemones, their white tentacles waving gently in the faint currents, almost glowing in your torch beam. We love tracing the deck, navigating through the superstructure, and peering into the holds. The bridge area is a particular favourite, offering a real sense of the ship’s operational layout. Visibility here can be a bit of a lottery, but on a good day, after a stretch of settled weather, it can open up to 10-15 metres. We’d suggest a sidemount configuration for easier access into some of the tighter spots. Keep an eye out for conger eels lurking in shadowed compartments and various crabs scuttling across the deck plates. This dive offers a serious challenge and a deep connection to wartime history for experienced wreck divers.