HMS Drake

Protected Area

Rathlin Island

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) - HMS Drake 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

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The HMS Drake, resting off the Scottish West Coast, is a proper dive, a deep, dark plunge into history. We love that feeling of descending through the green, knowing a beast of a cruiser awaits. She’s big, properly big, a 1901 armoured cruiser that went down in 1917 after a torpedo strike. What you get here is pure wreck penetration; the sheer scale means you can spend an hour just exploring a fraction of her. Inside, we’ve found everything from portholes still in place to the ghostly outlines of engine room machinery. The currents can be tricky, so pick your slack water carefully. Visibility often hovers around 5-10 metres, which just adds to the atmospheric gloom, though on a good day, you might get a bit more. We often see conger eels poking out from nooks, and the metalwork is draped in white plumose anemones, their feathery tentacles swaying with the surge. It’s a dive for those who appreciate maritime history and aren’t afraid of a bit of an adventure in deeper, colder water. Bring a good torch, and maybe a backup or two.