Invite to Flannan Isles, NW Scotland, July 2008

Steve-M · 17th October 2007, 15:28

I am planning an all-rebreather trip to the Flannan Isles and Whale Rock in the Scottish Outer Hebrides next year. This is the next in a series of all-rebreather trips I have been running in the last 10 years or so. Time to start firming up on next year's dive plans. Please get back to me within a few days with a definite 'YES' or 'no' if you want to be included. A £250 deposit secures your place on the trip.

The cost of the 2007 trip was £725 + oxygen costs (small) and booze costs (larger!). I don't yet have a firm price for 2008...but it will be in the same ballpark + a bit extra for inflation/fuel increases etc.

This trip will be strictly for rebreather divers only. We accepted some o/c divers onto the 2007 trip to fill up places..but it did cause some limitations to what the skipper Mark was comfortable with us doing. I would prefer to avoid repeating this in 2008.

Trip dates: 19-25 July, 2008

Boat: Hjalmar Bjorge

More details on the boat and charter operation here:

Northern Light Charters - Dive Charter: http://www.northernlight-uk.com/dive

Skipper: Mark Henrys

Target destination: Flannan Isles and
Whale Rock

The Flannan Isles
*****************

http://www.425dxn.org/dc3mf/flannan.html

http://heritage.scotsman.com/diagrams.cfm?cid=1&id=39672005

http://www.answers.com/topic/flannan-isles

The Flannan Isles lighthouse had a strange/dark history. Three lighthouse keepers all just vanished one day in 1900. No one ever found out what happened to them. The best guess is that they were all three out on the cliff-top watching the weather and a freak wave came over the cliff and took them all out to sea. Hmmmm....spooky !! Let's hope we don't find any old 100 year old skeletons or ghosts when diving !!! Check out the websites above for more info.

Whale Rock is a pinnacle that does not surface...I think the top is in around 30m. It lies between St Kilda and the Outer Hebrides (Harris). Very rarely dived. Those that did get on it once said - "a fabulous dive with lots of life on walls, canyons and caves". According to the skipper, Mark Henrys it was rated as good as the best that St. Kilda has on offer. There are very few references to Whale Rock on the internet. Below was all I could find

http://www.nlb.org.uk/ntom/2007/20_2007.htm

http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?id=5851&sc=1031&ac=d&an=5851:+Scotland

http://www.northernlight-uk.com/news_0606.htm

A selection of charts for Whale Rock is attached. Looks GOOD !

We will need a slot of very favourable weather to be able to dive the Flannan Isles. If we don't get this then we go to 'Plan B'.

Plan B St Kilda

Don'cha just love having St Kilda as 'Plan B' ??? ....!!! :-)

If we go to Plan B then we may still be able to dive Whale Rock on the way out/back to Kilda.

If the weather is really unkind then we will still get some quality diving with 'Plan C'. Plan C is dependent on what wind direction and strength we actually get.

Plan C Cape Wrath or Outer Hebrides (N Lewis again ?)...the Monach Isles...??

So...please let me know if you want to come along for the 2008 trip. Send me a private message. Give me some idea of your rebreather diving experience and general diving experience. Rebreathers already confirmed on the trip are Classic KISS, Sports KISS, Inspiration & Evolution. All units welcome.

Note that this is not billed as a wreck trip or a specially deep trip. We may well dive wrecks...but this is not the main objective. We may dive deep(ish)...say 50m or so, but we are exposed on a relatively remote part of the UK & we don't want everyone's trip spoiled by a bend and a medical-evacuation. If you want deep wrecks then this is not the trip for you. Helium will not be available from the boat...but you are welcome to bring your own (I will).

Regards, Steve M.

S. G. Millard,
Professor,
Department of Engineering,
University of Liverpool,
Liverpool L69 3GQ

UK.

Tel : 0151 794 5224 (UK)
44 151 794 5224 (International)

Fax : 0151 794 5218 (UK)
44 151 794 5218 (International)

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