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World | UK | Scotland | Diving Skye:
Skye overview
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Reefs:
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Scuba Diving in Skye, Scotland, UK, Europe
Water temperature: |
4°C (39°F) from January to March to 14°C (64°F) from July to September |
Suit: |
A drysuit is highly recommended |
Visibility: |
5 - 20 metres (15 - 65 feet) |
Type of diving: |
Wreck, reef and wall dives |
Marine life: |
Minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins, porpoises, seals, dogfish, pollack, wrasse, conger eels, octopus, lobsters, crawfish, jellyfish, crabs, sea urchins, starfish, sponges |
When to go: |
June to September if you don't like cold water! These months are also best for spotting some of the larger marine animals such as minkes. |
How to get there: |
From Fort william on Loch Ness, take the A82 to Invergary, then turn of onto the A87 all the way to the Kyle of Lochalsh. Cross the Skye bridge onto the Isle of Skye itself. |
The Isle of Skye is part of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland. It is a remote, sometimes stark, but also beautiful island created in part by ancient lava flows that dominate much of the landscape. Skye is a haven for nature lovers, be it bird watchers or those after encounters with cetaceans. Sea birds are abundant and puffins and guillemots can be seen flying close to the sea. Divers should also look out for diving birds such as cormorants and gannets on their safety stops as well as keep an eye out along the cliffs for sea eagles. Otters can be found along the coastline and seals, minke whales, porpoises and dolphins are familiar sights in the seas. Basking sharks may also be sighted in the summer months.
Underwater visibility is generally good for the UK with 10 metres being common. Kelp forests dress the shallower reefs and as you head deeper they give way to wonderful gardens of sponges and anemones. There are plenty of fish, crabs and lobsters and if you look carefully you can find large conger eels, tiny nudibranchs and friendly prawns.
Skye is home to beautiful reefs, although it may not be the place for you if you are a self-confessed wreckie. There are more wreck dives in the area than the one wreck listed here, although those out in the Minch are subject to a battering from the elements so tend to be pretty flattened. They are also a bit of a boat journey, so whether you get to dive them or not may be determined by how lucky you are with the weather. One option on the way home after diving in Skye is to stop off at the bridge at the Kyle of Lochalsh to dive the HMS Port Napier, a WWII mine layer that is relatively intact.
We dived with Dive & Sea the Hebrides, who we can recommend. They are based in picturesque Waternish where there is a local pub for evening entertainment (although with somewhat unfriendly staff!) and the nearby Dunvegan offers a change of scene if you don't mind driving a few miles. They have accommodation at the centre or there are local B and Bs if you prefer. One thing we should point out is that their boat (at the time of writing) is moored near Struan, which means a 15 mile drive to and from the boat each day. This wasn't a problem in my mind, but it was a bit unexpected! It does mean that if the weather should break you have the sheltered sites around Loch Bracadale at your disposal.
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