The Sound of Mull Archaeological Project (SOMAP) and WreckMap
Above: Map of the Sound of Mull showing sites
investigated during this project. For a comprehensive list of
dive sites, see the Lochaline Dive Centre website
(link at the foot of this page).
SS Hispania
A small cargo vessel of 644
tonnes, the Hispania sank in 1954. She is a classic UK
wreck dive, with a great deal of remaining structure, covered
thickly in marine life. Fast tidal currents and a narrow safe
tidal window for diving make her a difficult site to survey. She
has, however, been occasionally investigated, notably after being
hit by a fishing dredge in 2001.
Below is a link to a short movie clip by Chris Underwood, showing divers
investigating the Hispania:
Hispania
movie 
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SS Shuna
The Shuna was a small
cargo vessel (880 tons) that sank in the Sound of Mull in 1913. She
lies upright on the seabed, at a depth of about 25m to deck
level. She has been subject to occasional survey by the NAS, most
notably in 2001, to evaluate the site after extensive fishing
dredging in the Sound had led to reports of several wreck sites
being struck by fishing gear. Over the early period of study she
was in very slow-moving water and had accumulated a layer of
very fine silt, which could lead to poor diving conditions. After
the re-introduction of a fish farm close to the site, there have
been reports of changes in the current regime.
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SS Rondo
The Rondo, a steam cargo
vessel of 2363 tonnes and about 80m length, sank in 1935. She was
extensively salvaged, leaving only her hull and ribs, before
slipping into deep water. She lies pointing down a steep
underwater cliff, with her bows at about 50m and her stern
rudder assembly at 6m. The shallower parts of the site have been
the subject of cursory survey by NAS members over the last few
years.
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John Preston
The John Preston was a
wooden Welsh schooner, built to carry slates quarried in
Snowdonia from Port Dinorwic to markets around the UK. Lost in
1855, she now lies on a shelf at between 16 and 20m depth. Good
access from Lochaline and the comparatively safe working depth
make the John Preston an ideal NAS training site. An extensive
survey of visible remains was completed in 2000, along with some
limited excavations to assess the buried extent of the site.
Subsequently the John Preston has been monitored for
deterioration, and was 'adopted' by NAS Scotland in 2003.
See NAS Scotland's website for further details.
Lochaline Dive
Centre - John Preston
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Scallastle Bay
The Scallastle Bay wreck site is
a collection of guns that were found sticking out of the
seabed.
Lochaline scallop diver George
Foster reported his discovery of three cast iron guns to NAS
Scotland in 1994. These guns were originally thought to have come
from the wreck of the Dartmouth, lost in 1690 on the island of
Eilean Rubha an Ridire.
Above right: Diver recording one of the guns
protruding from the sediment in Scallastle Bay.
Subsequent work by SOMAP has
disproved this theory. Systematic metal detector searches
revealed three more guns, in close groupings. One of these guns
has a breeching loop on it. The breeching loop was used to reduce
the recoil of the gun, and came into use around the end
of the 18th century. This gun is an Armstrong Pattern gun dating
to the early 19th century. The other guns seem to be of various
types.
Some additional finds have been
made during this survey, including two lead apron covers.
One of these was recovered and has been recorded and conserved by
SOMAP participant Barry Kaye. The photographs of this object
show how the apron was moulded to the surface of the cannon.
The bowl of a clay pipe found during excavation of one of the guns
was also recovered. This artefact has been conserved, and dating
as it does to the early 19th century, it helps firm up the dating
of the cannon site to the early part of the 19th Century.
We are still not sure of the
origins of this site. However, it is unlikely that there is a
wreck associated with the guns. The position of two of the guns,
sticking out of the seabed, suggests that they might have been
jettisoned. This was fairly common practice if, for instance, a
ship was in trouble.
The existence of various types of
guns, some apparently not in service, suggests that the guns may
have been part of a scrap cargo that needed to be jettisoned for
some reason. However, the presence of the two apron covers would
indicate that at least two of the guns were in service. We are
still missing part of the jigsaw here, and hopefully there will
be more clues to answer what has become something of an
enigma!
Above right: illustration of the bowl of a clay pipe
found on the site.
The Scallastle Bay guns are of
local importance and you are welcome to dive this site. However,
we ask that divers who do visit this site do not remove anything
from the seabed or tamper with the guns in any way. These guns
are far better off left where they are than being lifted to the
surface where the costs of professional conservation would be
prohibitively expensive.
Below is a link to a short movie clip by Chris Underwood, showing NAS members
measuring one of the guns on the Scallastle Bay site:
Scallastle
movie
Scallastle report: Phil Robertson, NAS Scotland
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HMS Dartmouth
HMS Dartmouth was a 5th
Rate Royal Navy Frigate that sank in 1690, and was subject to a full
professional excavation in the 1960's. Subsequently NAS members
have carried out surveys and environmental evaluations.
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The Thesis
The wreck of the Thesis
lies in 12-35m of water in the south east of the Sound of Mull.
She is a steam ship built in Belfast by McIlwaine, Lewis and Co.
and launched in 1887.
On her final voyage in 1889, the
Thesis was on her way from Belfast to Middlesbrough
with a cargo of pig iron when she ran aground. All of her crew
escaped to shore safely.
Above right: SS Thesis from a 3D model created by
CookandKaye based on data collected by WreckMap participants.
The wreck is structurally intact
and encrusted with marine life, and makes for a very enjoyable
dive. Between 2000 and 2004 the Thesis was extensively
surveyed by NAS volunteers, leading to the creation of a
3D virtual reality simulation. The VR simulation linked below
requires a special browser plug-in; if you do not have this, you
can still view the site as an interactive FLASH movie on the
Lochaline Dive Centre website:
VR simulation link: Thesis 3D
Lochaline Dive
Centre - Thesis
Below is a link to a short movie clip by Chris Underwood, showing a diver
penetrating the hold through the open ribs of the ship's side:
Thesis
movie
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The Swan
The Swan sank in 1653
and is an example of a small warship of this date. She was extensively
surveyed and partially excavated by a professional team under the
direction of Colin Martin in the 1990's and early 2000's.
A number of interesting and unusual
finds were made on the site, such as an intricately carved cherub
(right), which had been exposed by current action prior to the start
of the investigation. The archaeological work has therefore had two
purposes on this site - firstly to learn about the site, and secondly
to stabilise any remaining material in situ, for future investigation.
The Swan is a designated site,
but can be dived under licence. Enquire at NAS Scotland for further
information.
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Acknowledgements
The NAS has been indebted
to the Lochaline Dive Centre for many years for hosting
SOMAP and WreckMap. The sites listed above are just a few
of the enjoyable dives in the Sound of Mull area. For a more
comprehensive listing, see the Lochaline Dive Centre website:
Lochaline
Dive Centre
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