Alternative Names:   None

Type of Dive:  Fast drift dive.

Suggested experience:   Experienced sport diver,

Travel directions:   From South, head for Oban, continue North on A828, turn right at Connel and follow the road to the Creran bridge.   Google

Parking directions:   Park just before the bridge heading north.  

Distance from Glasgow:   102 Miles   2hrs 21 Mins

Lat & Long:    56° 32' 50.60'' N    5° 17' 27.41'' W

Tides:        Tide tables   Dive on springs at the fastest point when it is flooding. (tide coming in) if you want an exhilarating fast dive or on near slack for a gentle drift.

Depth:   12m

Site entry/exit:   Easy entry down a stone beach. Its easy to exit all along the shore here.

Underwater directions:  Head out 90 deg to the shore to your chosen depth and go with the flow. As the speed of the drift dies down start heading south back to the shore.

Site Hazards:    Boat traffic, use an SMB. Don't stay in to long as you can have a log fin back to the shore.

Nearest Public phone:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Accommodation:    Seabank farmhouse   Oban  SYHA

Mobile Network service:    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Other comments:   There are tube worms called Serpum Vermiscula, that only occur in reefs here in Loch Creran. Care must be taken not to disturb the tube worms in any way.   Link

Pub:    Creagan Inn

Created by:   John Nicolson

Cafe:    Oban

Air & Nitrox fills:    Puffin divers

Date:     16/12/10

Revision:     2

Thanks To: 

Links:    Link   Link 

Surface Photos: 

Underwater Photos:       Utube   

Dive Map:   Not require here.

Dive Report:  Dive tramp  I've done it several times in both directions and from further away from your entry point. My entry points have been the ferry slip at Creagan Inn on the North side for the flood tide drift and from the first layby after the bridge on the South side for the Ebb tide drift. Great care and calculations have to be taken when doing the ebb drift as, if you get it wrong and enter too early or late in the tide you'll either be washed past the exit at Creagan Inn and it's a VERY long swim to get into the bay that serves as Creagan Inn's moorings or you'll come up too early (if it's a slacker drift) it's a similar story of a long swim to either shore. Both are best done with a boat as you can then be dropped straight into the current which is quite visible at most stages of the tide.

Doing it as a flood drift dive has fewer problems when entering from the Creagan Inn ferry slip but involves a fair swim out to get into the flow. You can do it underwater if your Navigation is up to scratch but a surface swim is far safer. The exit for this drift is the large boulder rock mass just by the first layby after you drive under the bridge (on your right hand side now). You'll know you're near the exit as it'll slow down significantly and will become slightly deeper than the water under the bridge (4-5m under the bridge and 6-8m after the boulder rock area). It's very shallow water, full of weed that drags at you forever... if you don't come out at the boulders. If it's sunny you may well sense the light disappear as you pass under the bridge which should give you the "heads up" thru the dive.
Be VERY aware of the anglers that frequent the North bank as they'll be spinning... looking to catch the pollack and salmon that gather around the bridge. For this reason, do try to go under the southern most "arch".