MOUNTAIN LAUREL (POSSIBLY)

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) - MOUNTAIN LAUREL (POSSIBLY) 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 60m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

The Mountain Laurel is one of those deeper West Coast wrecks we really love. She’s an iron sailing vessel, sitting upright, and remarkably intact considering she was scuttled by a U-boat back in 1918. Dropping down, you’ll often find the visibility surprisingly good, sometimes pushing 15 metres, which really lets you appreciate her full length, all 53 metres of her. We usually start our exploration around the stern, where the rudder and propeller are still clearly defined, then work our way forward along the deck. The hull plates are draped in dead man's fingers and colourful jewel anemones, with conger eels peering from every dark recess. It’s a proper historical dive, a real journey back in time, and while her depth at 60 metres means this is one for the technical divers, the rewards are absolutely worth the effort. There’s something special about seeing a wreck from this era so well preserved, a silent testament to a bygone age.