Alternative Names: None
Type of Dive: Catterline island is an easy shore dive Known for spotting seals.
Suggested experience: Sport/novice
Travel directions: A92 6 miles South of Stonehaven Google
Parking directions: Park just 20m past the harbour (space for 8 cars.)
Distance from Stonehaven: 6 Miles 12 Mins Edinburgh: 112 miles 2 hrs 30 mins
Lat & Long: N56 53.529 W2 12.668 Postcode AB39 2UL Google
Depth: 6m
Tides: Tide tables 1hr after Stonehaven Best dived at high tide.
Site entry/exit: To the harbour side of the big rock, natural sort of gully to follow. Better than swimming out from the pier end.
Underwater directions: Surface swim or underwater most divers seem to surface swim out to the island but as its only 6m deep you can take a bearing of 165 deg and 230m to the island over a pebble stone bottom. When you get to the island you can look in all the cracks and see plenty of sea life, circumnavigate the Island and back to the shore.
Air & Nitrox: Splash sports
Site Hazards: Tide as marked, dive and creel boats.
Nearest Public phone: In the village
Mobile Network service: None at the harbour but mobile at the village "high ground"
Pub: Creel Inn its good but pricey
Cafe None close to here.
Created By: Gavin Barnett
Date: Dec 2008
Revision: 2
Thanks To:
Surface Photos: By Gavin Barnett
Underwater Photos: Contact me
Dive Map: By Gavin Barnett.
Dive Report: Dolphins if your lucky, Seals, Lobsters & Crabs in the rock cracks. Wrasse aplenty. Hard pebble stone bottom at the beach. Some sand before the tide corner. All in all a nice wee splash. I have dived this solo many times in the summer months. Early morning is my favourite time followed by a can of cold lager......... Get there before the crowds.
Dive Report: Kinnell 17/12/2009 Dived this site many times. The island is further away than you think. I tend to surface swim out if I can be arsed. Plenty to see and the vis is usually quite good. Often see seals if you like that sort of thing (personally I've got better things to do on a dive than be sexually assaulted by an aquatic dog). You can have just as good a dive staying close to shore as long as it's high tide. Low tide I'd be heading out to the island.
Dive Report: Yogi 16/1/11 If you are in the area, it's worth a crack at high tide. But it's a long surface swim for what is really a mediocre dive. I've found it best to surface swim out, then make sure of my bearing and return underwater. It's a long way but just 5 or 6 metres deep so you don't have any safety stops to worry about.
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