Scapa Flow has been used as an anchorage since the days of the Vikings, and through two world wars. Situated on the north East coast of Scotland it is a large expanse of water surrounded by a ring of Islands known as the Orkney Isles. Scapa Flow is a natural harbour providing shelter to the worse of the weather, being blown out on a dive is rare, and Scapa Flow is with out doubt the finest wreck diving location in the UK. And here's why

On the 21st June 1919 Admiral Von Reuter ordered the high seas German Fleet to scuttle. This consisted of 74 ships being sent to the depths of Scapa Flow, 10 battle ships 6 battle cruisers 8 light cruisers and 50 destroyers. Out of the 74 ships 52 went to the bottom and 22 were beached or saved by armed naval boarding parties. Salvage operations by Messrs Cox and Danks and later by Metal Industries ltd and Scapa Salvage raised 45 ships.

The German fleet wrecks are great diving no doubt of that but that's not all what Scapa is about we have scrap sites from previously salvaged ships we have block ships in shallow fast tidal waters, wrecks like the Gobernador Bories a Chilean registered steamer sunk in Burra Sound in 1915 is the one for the photographer, this wreck is just teaming with life, the large Ballen and Cuckoo Wrasse really do expect to be fed with sea urchins from visiting divers, honest if you don't feed them they'll bite you. The average depth of this dive is around 15 meters, and the viz well, check it out.

Scapa FLow
Orkney Diving

Or there's the F2 a second world war light escort vessel sunk in only 15 metres of water here we get two wrecks for the price of one as off to the side of the wreck is the salvage barge YC21, this boat actually sank while salvaging the wreck of the F2. Dive the F2 and swim along the guide rope to the barge. Sitting upright this wooden barge is teaming with life, most of the deck has gone so you can drop down inside and swim through the wreck and see the work benches with the vices still attached, gas bottles once used for cutting into the F2 and the anti air craft guns sitting there pointing up to the surface. Check it out.

There is so much to dive its more than just the German Fleet from the single cylinder air diver to the deep mixed gas techie. Dive with the seals or do a scenic drift around the Old Man of Hoy, there's something here for every one. I don't dive anywhere else.