Alternative Names: Goblach Island, Forked Island, Princes Cairn.
Type of Dive: An excellent shore dive in Loch Nan Uamh.
Suggested experience: Able to snorkel 100m there and back or fit enough to dive for an hour.
Distance from Fort William: Take the A830 out towards Mallaig. Go past Loch Ailort and under the row of arches near the head of the loch. Continue on down the round that twists and turns a bit and then go past the sign pointing across the road to the Princess Cairn and on past a large layby on the left for viewing the loch. After this trees line the lochside for a few hundred yards before there begins a low wall built of large boulders. Google
Parking directions: There is a flat area on the verge opposite the boulder wall where you can park.
Lat & Long: N56.891701 W-5.750967 Google
Tides: Tide tables
Depth: 10m - 30m
Site entry/exit: Cross the road and walk down the rocky path behind the large boulders that line the side of the road.
Underwater directions: Eilean Goblach is the island directly out in the middle of the loch once you have swum around the end of the rocks here. Either snorkel or swim underwater until you reach the base which is around 9m at high tide. The sandy bottom has the usual life you would expect, spiny and common sea stars, a variety of swimming crabs and gobies. Much of this island is covered in kelp so make sure you check this for life as I found stalked jellyfish, fried egg nudibranchs and a host of molluscs living on it. Start to swim east or to your left and between 5-7m you will start to see large patches of a rocky wall with cup corals, anemones, urchins, sea squirts etc. There are also a couple of overhangs with dead men's fingers and the odd plumose anemone. Goldsinny lurk in crevices and shimmering rock cook swim amongst the kelp blades. As you go round this island it gets a little deeper 20m+, however, given the distance from the shore it would probably be wiser to explore this with boat cover.
Air & Nitrox: Puffin divers & The underwater centre
Site Hazards: Occasional small boat traffic. Be careful crossing the road if you are kitted up, it is not a very busy road but it is fast.
Nearest Public phone: Contact me
Mobile Network service: Contact me
Accommodation: Lots of places for wild camping along this road.
Other comments: Gobhlach is from the Gaelic meaning "forked".
Pub: Some in Mallaig
Cafe: None close to here.
Created By: Jane Wilkinson
Date: October 2011
Revision: 1
Thanks To:
Links: Contact me
Surface Photos: By Jane Wilkinson.
Underwater Photos: By Jane Wilkinson.
Dive Report: Comment in the box below.