© iStock/MartinM303 Diving in Scotland On the western coast of Scotland is the Firth of Lorne. Lorne is a now-defunct region of Scotland that a firth is a Scottish term for a long estuary or fjord. This watery area became a Special Area of Conservation in 2005 and has become a great place for diving in western Scotland. On the North Sea and just over the border from Scotland’s neighbor to the south, England, sits the county of Berwickshire. This is a place that is home to approximately 115,000 people and covers an area of 1,184 square kilometers (457 square miles). There are many coastal towns where diving is done throughout the east coast of Scotland but as the water gets colder further north, these spots are fewer and further between. These locations are as far north as Dundee and extend down to Berwickshire with spots in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Burntisland, and North Berwick among a few others. As for the diving, you can expect to explore reefs and dramatic walls, kelp forests where crab, lobster and tinny critters hide out. Then there are the larger animals, from mink whales to basking sharks and hundreds of species of fish, starfish and sun stars. The best spot to dive here is a small fishing village called St Abbs, with its fantastic shore diving opportunities. The east coast in general is dotted with gullies and archways, spectacular marine life and colorful anemones. There is plenty of soft coral to spot as well, not to mention rushing tides and sheer cliffs, then there are the wrecks, the time capsules waiting to be explored on the seabed. The dive season runs from April to October and although you can Featured places to go in Scotland © MaresOrkney IslesOrkney iles offers an amazing underwater time capsule of the military history of WW I.Learn more © MaresSt. AbbsThe deep water and strong tides make St. Abbs some of the best shore diving area in all of the UK.Learn more © MaresObanYet another great area to explore wrecks, Oban offers more than a few great ones.Learn more Aquatic Life in Scotland In the summer months, from around June until August, you can dive in this area and be on the lookout for sharks! The basking shark is native to the area at this time of year and is so prevalent that this is one of the premier shark diving places in all of Europe. There is plenty of other marine life as well here. Another specialty of the area is close-up photography of the tiny nudibranch. This is also a very good area to go diving for delicious sea scallops. It is also a great ecosystem which has been protected for 35 years. In 1984, this area became the UK’s first Voluntary Marine Reserve. There are many of the usual suspects here like wrasse, jellyfish, a variety of lobster, crabs, and shrimp as well as more unique species like the horseman anemone. With the water so clear, it is an awesome spot to get an underwater photo of these inhabitants as well. Dive Sites in Scotland