IRIS
Protected Area
Magilligan Point
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) - IRIS offers some of Scottish West Coast's richest wreck diving.
The Iris, a steamship that went down in 1883, offers a proper slice of Scottish diving history. We’ve found her fairly broken up, thanks to those Force 6 conditions that sank her, but the remains of her hull and superstructure are still interesting to pick through. Expect to see her single boiler and maybe bits of her two-cylinder engine, all now home to the usual suspects: inquisitive wrasse, squat lobsters tucked into crevices, and plenty of sea anemones. It’s a good site for an easy wreck dive, especially if you’re keen to explore rather than penetrate, and you can spend a fair while just poking around the scattered pieces.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
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