Wreck of Rhine - Scottish West Coast
The MV *Rhine* off the Scottish West Coast isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’ve got a bit of drysuit experience and a love for proper wreck diving, this is a belter. We’ve always been drawn to wrecks that feel like they tell a story, and the *Rhine*, with its broken midsection and scattered cargo, absolutely does. You’ll be navigating through dark holds, often with schools of saithe swirling around you, and feeling the sheer scale of the ship as you pass her engine room. It’s a proper adventure, dark and moody, best tackled when the conditions are calm and you can really take your time exploring her many compartments. What we love about the *Rhine* is how she’s completely given herself back to the sea. The deck plating is peeling, creating shelters for conger eels, and the entire structure is draped in dead man’s fingers. Our favourite part is always dropping into the prop shaft tunnel – it’s a tight squeeze in places, but the feeling of being deep inside such a monumental piece of history is incredible. You’ll spend a good part of the dive in low light, so strong torches are essential to pick out the details, like the remnants of crockery in the galley or the massive anchor chain draped over the bow. This isn’t a colourful reef dive; it’s a deep, dark exploration of a piece of maritime history, suited for those who appreciate the quiet, dramatic beauty of a cold-water wreck.
- Location
- Scottish West Coast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 56.571896, -6.682990
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Crossapol and Gunna
Nearby Dive Sites in Scottish West Coast
- ACCORD - 9m (wreck)
- ADONO - 10m (wreck)
- ADROLIS - 5m (wreck)
- AGATE - 10m (wreck)
- AGIOS MINAS - 10m (wreck)
- AKKA - 28m (wreck)
- ALBIA - 10m (wreck)
- ALEXANDER - 10m (wreck)
- AMY JANE - 52m (wreck)
- AMY (POSSIBLY) - 38m (wreck)
- ANGELA - 5m (wreck)
- ANNIE JANE - 29m (wreck)
- ANNIE MC FADYEN - 7m (wreck)
- ANNIE MELLING - 54m (wreck)
- ANWOTH - 0m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Wreck of Rhine
- Aquaholics - ["PADI"]
- C&C MARINE SERVICES
- Eagle Divers NI - ["PADI"]
- Field Studies Council Millport
- Freedive Northern Ireland
- Fyne Diving - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Scottish West Coast
Home to 127 recorded species including 50 reef fish, 15 whales & dolphins, 10 seagrass & algae, 9 sharks & rays, 8 other, 7 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) - Sharks & Rays
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- Light-bulb sea squirt (Clavelina lepadiformis)
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Star ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri)
- Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs