Alternative Names: Quarry view. Blackstone pier the garden centre and cafe are closed.and the Access gates are locked..just now.
Type of Dive: Scenic shore dive on a rocky promontory and training area.
Suggested Experience: This site is suitable for any state of the tide and sheltered enough in just about any weather conditions for teaching people to dive.
Travel directions: Leaving Glasgow on the A82 turn left at Tarbet onto the A83, through Arrochar and over the rest and be thankful and through Inveraray towards Loch Gilphead, the tea room is on the loch side of the road just past the Village of Furnace. There is a big gash in the hill opposite the Cafe. Google map
Parking directions: Park to the far left as you enter the car park and leave the front free for cafe customers.
Lat & Long: N 56.13239 W-5.22715 Postcode PA32 8YA Google
Tides: Tide tables
Site entry/exit: There's a walkway near the entrance to the car park on your right-hand side facing the sea, or enter the water in the loch outside the bay. See the pictures below.
Underwater directions: Stay in the bay, or walk to the corner of the track (100m) and enter the water on the outside of the reef swim around the reef 2-3m from the bottom ascending as your bottom time runs out. The best part of the dive is at the point where there are big boulders and large ballan wrasse. From the point, it starts to get silty back into the bay. When you get to the big metal tank in the bay its 30m to the metal walkway at the cafe. Its worth the extra swim at 2-3m to exit at the platform. If you are compass training, from the point head north and you will come out at the right of the metal walkway.
Air & Nitrox: Aquatron Splashports
Site Hazards: Walking on broken quarry rock and bad viz if there are too many divers in the bay.
Nearest Public phone: In an emergency use the cafe.
Mobile Network service: Orange + Vodophone
Other comments: Don't forget to use the comments at the bottom of the page
Pub: Heading towards Glasgow the Furnace Inn is the closest (and best parking) then The George at Inveraray they are both have hot food and a good range of whisky and a beer garden.
Café: The Cafe on site is great for snacks and hot drinks and the service is great. (don't take sandwiches, use the cafe and keep the place open. We like to finish our diving with a hot choc and write up the log books and have a chat about the diving.) 01546 886692
Revision: 5
Created by: Robert Burgess
Date: 17/2/23
Revision: 3
Thanks To: Lee for the surface photos
Surface Photos: Webcam
Underwater Photos: By John Nicolson
Divesite map: By John Nicolson
Dive Report: John Nicolson This is a popular training site as it has a protected bay and a cafe with toilet facilities. If you have experienced divers on the trip they can dive on the outside of the bay on the boulder slope down to 18m. The best part of the dive here is the point.
Dive Report: Comment in the box below.