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Alternative Names: Sgeir an Sabhail
Type of Dive: Shore and Flood tide drift
Suggested experience: Ocean Diver (experienced), Sports Diver, Dive Leader, Master Diver etc
Travel directions: As you descend down Glen Shiel, A87(on the way to Kyle of Lochalsh), take the left signposted Ratagan over the wee hump back bridge, take the next right to Ratagan, pass thro and continue driving past Letterfearn (single track road) keep an eye out for the passing place in the photo just as you come round a left bend in the road (with a small, low wall on the seaside where the excess cars will park). You can turn round by carrying on for a wee bit longer to find a car park area in the trees at the top of a small rise. Drop off the kit and divers and park your vehicles round the corner on the (now) right-hand side of the road away from the wee wall.
Parking directions: At the roadside, room for two cars at entry site then room for 5cars round the corner before Druidaig Lodge (towards Ratagan)
Lat & Long: 57:15:55N 5:31:07W
Depth: Best to 15m but does go deeper.
Site entry/exit: Short clamber down to the shore via some rock “steps” from the roadside between two Hazel bushes. Exit either at entry point, tho it is a bit of a clamber up over the ragged rocks, but best to complete the Flood tide drift and exit in the cobbled bay where the excess cars park. (by the small roadside wall, see pics)
Underwater directions: If a slack water dive, enter from the rocks and pick your direction and return to entry point (see above note). Flood tide dive, enter over the rocks and choose your depth. Sloping, sandy bottom studded with rocks leading down to siltier sandy bottom at around 15m. Turn right, keep slope on your right and drift at your chosen depth. In the deeper water, you will come across several huge boulder outcrops whose gaps hold coarse sand and associated wild life. These outcrops are massive and become wall-like if you keep your depth constant, otherwise as you sweep over them you will see that above 10m the slopes become square broken rock slopes. This drift should take about 30 mins and as you ascend to 6m you shall come across rounded cobbles on a much gentler slope in the Exit bay. Don’t worry if you miss these cobbles as the bay is uniform and very easy to exit from as a gentle walk ashore
Site Hazards: Climb down to the entry point, few “escape” avenues if dive has to aborted early as the shore is rocky and steep til you reach the bay area
Nearest Public phone: Back at Ratagan Youth Hostel
Accommodation: Kintail lodge hotel (Bunk Rooms and Bunk House), Ratagan youth hostel
Mobile Network service: O2 works with full signal
Other comments:
Pub: Kintail lodge hotel (nice pint of Ember, Strongbow, Stella. Meals quite expensive (but good)… (Scallops as a main £18.50!)
Created by: Dive Tramp
Cafe: There is a cafe further up from the Kintail Lodge on the way to Kyle of Lochalsh (but can’t rem its name)
Air & Nitrox fills: 5 Bells at Loch Carron, Dive and sea the Hebrides on Skye, or carry your own
Revision: 1
Thanks To:
Links: None
Surface Photos:
Underwater Photos:
Dive Map:
Dive Report: Dive tramp 09 This site is best dived at Slack water but it's not too much hassle to return to Entry on a flood tide if you hug the cliff face on your return. Entry point couldn't be easier, just walk down the (slippy if it's LW) cobbled old ferry slipway. At HW you could kit up sitting down and roll over into the water in standing depth in the sandy corner. Swim out over bit of Kelp then drop to 2-3m. It's a gently sloping sandy bottom, broken up from time to time with boulder outcrops (to the right. To the left there's more reef like rocks but I haven't been that way too much yet, and it's deeper), keep the cliff wall to your right and it gets deeper (20m) over a veritable Axminster Carpet of a sea bottom. It would be easier to say what's not on view here, no silt! sealoch anemones abound, Dead Men's Fingers, small Hermits, Edible Crabs, Small fry, Peacock worms (in a field) Brittle Stars, other Starfish. DO remember to take your camera! There's no way out if you need to surface early (hence the need for slack water), to return, just keep as close to the rock face as you need to avoid too much finning against the tide. As you get shallower and very near to Exit you'll come across a victim of Drink Driving (probably!), the remains of a 1930-40's truck that didn't quite make it round the sharp bend in the road above the ferry slip (Jo, here's your rust and metal!!). Since the erection of a gate across the road (which I'm looking into) this would probably be best dived as a BASD, Boat Assisted Shore Dive accessed from Dornie across the water.
Live google map: