ARDTORNISH POINT, MORVERN

Type of Dive:                       Boat Dive.  Usually dived from Lochaline, Oban or Tobermory dayboats.

Experience suggested:    Sport diver or above

Travel directions:               Ardtornish Point lies 1.3 nautical miles east of Lochaline.  It is the obvious headland that lies to the east of the entrance to the loch.  A ruined castle is built on the point and there is a light beacon.

Lat & Long:                          56:31:072N; 005:45:202W.

1:100 000 Map:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&GridE=-5.78140&GridN=56.53410&lon=-5.78140&lat=56.53410&search_result=Lochaline%2C%20Highland&db=freegaz&keepicon=true&lang=&place=Lochaline%2C%20Highland&pc=&advanced=&client=public&addr2=&quicksearch=lochaline&addr3=&scale=100000&addr1=

1:25 000 Map:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=170000.696410924&Y=744000.655173492&width=700&height=400&gride=167581.696410924&gridn=744416.655173492&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=true&zm=0&scale=25000&down.x=286&down.y=5

Tides:                                    Tidal streams run up to 1 knot in Sound of Mull.

                                    Reference port is Oban

The NW flood begins about -0600 Oban

The SE ebb begins about -0045 Oban

Underwater directions:    Ardtornish Point is a wall dive with depths of up to 70m.  It is swept by currents in the Sound so generally is dived on slack water or at the end of the ebb so that you are brought round into the shallow Ardtornish Bay.  The wall at the point becomes a steep boulder slope and then a shallower finish in the bay.  The bay is gravel and mud and good scalloping ground.

The Evelyn Rose, a 130 ton steam trawler was wrecked on Ardtornish Point in 1954.  It is thought that the wreck is at 130m (see information below).  It has been tentatively located on sonar by a wreck and scour on the seabed where the wreck slid off into the deep.  Unfortunately most of the 13 crew were lost, as they were sleeping.  Only two crewmembers survived.

Site Hazards:                      Currents and Depth for the unwary.

Nearest Public phone:      Lochaline

Pub:                                       Lochaline Social Club

Air & Nitrox:                         Lochaline Dive Centre

Links:                        http://www.lochalinedivecentre.co.uk/diving.html

http://www.lochaline-boats.co.uk/

http://www.divernetxtra.com/travel/0101scotland.htm

A link to a website giving details of the Evelyn Rose

http://www.float-trawlers.lancashire.gov.uk/index.php?a=wordsearch&s=item&key=Wczo2OiJib3N0b24iOw==&pg=333

A link to sonar scans carried out at this and other sites by Lochaline Dive Centre

http://www.lochalinedivecentre.co.uk/Sound%20of%20Mull%20Remote%20Sensing%20Project%20report.pdf

Thanks to:                            Claire McPherson for proofreading the siteguide

Version                                 1.0

Created by:                          alex maclennan

Date:                                      July 2007

Surface Photos:                 Ruin of Ardtornish Castle