We started the day in Portree by calling in to the harbour master Ron Henderson and coastguard Davie Urquhart. Davie and Ron went over the charts with us and highlighted a number of wreck sites which were not charted. We then had a chat with local prawn fisherman James Corrigall. James brought us on to his boat and was able to give us exact coordinates for most of the sites from his GPS plus a few extra.
Investigating maritime heritage in Portree, Skye.
The SAMPHIRE team made several stops this morning. Starting from Applecross we crossed over the spectacular snowy mountain pass at Bealach.
Crossing the pass at Bealach.
We descended to Lochcarron and spoke with a local commercial diver. We then moved on to Plockton where we met up with John, a creel fisherman from Torridon who knew of several wrecks further north which we marked on our charts. After dropping in to chat with the good folk at Calum’s Plockton Seal Trips we drove on to Dornie, beside the amazing Eilean Donan Castle, to meet Matt Baron, an instructor at Dornie Divers.
The in-depth knowledge of local maritime communities.
Dornie Divers are a relatively new sub-aqua club and are focused on discovering new wreck dive sites in the area. We had a great chat with Matt and will be following up on the sites he has reported to us, including a possible lead on a submerged flying boat. We are now heading on to Skye where we will stay for the night at Portree.
After finishing recording of the cannons in Shieldaig we made for Applecross. The weather took a turn for the worse but we pressed on. Our first stop was the Applecross Heritage Centre which was unfortunately closed although we spotted an interesting anchor outside in the grounds.
Investigating the maritime history of Applecross.
We then met up with local archaeologist Nick Goldthorpe who is a font of knowledge and has a number of possible leads on unrecorded local underwater archaeological sites. Nick also introduced us to several local fishermen who had accurate locations for several recorded losses. The fishermen also gave us some local knowledge on an old double-ended boat lying near the Applecross Inn. By the time we were finished the sun had come back out to reveal stunning views across to Raasay. We will head on for Dornie in the morning to meet some of the local divers.
We arrived in Torridon on the 11th of May and immediately began chatting with the local community about marine archaeology. We met some interesting local people with lots of useful contacts at Torridon and were given some contacts for local scallop divers. After leaving some promotional material for the project we moved on to Shieldaig.
At Sheldaig we followed up on some previously unrecorded sites reported to us ahead of the field trip, visiting a couple of locals in their homes to chat about the project and the sites they had discovered. We followed up with a visit to the local hotel where we met and chatted with several fishermen. Shieldaig is off-limits to trawling so all the local fishermen use creels, primarily for prawn.
Following up on a lead from Gairloch we contacted some of the local boat operators who pointed us to a large cannon lying on the main street of Shieldaig. The next morning we bumped into a local man Robert Gordon, a former fisherman and local historian. He filled in the story of the cannon which was in use at nearby Ardheslaig as an anchor for many years. Robert gave us a video interview and told us that it has only been in its current location for the last five years. A quick search of CANMORE seems to suggest that this important artefact has never been recorded before. The SAMPHIRE team made a complete record of the dimensions of the cannon and hope to identify its nation of origin and age once we get back to Edinburgh.
Recording cannons around Shieldaig.
Chatting to another local, Andrew Patrick, whom we worked with last year in Torridon we were informed that there was a second unrecorded cannon in Shieldaig! Investigating further we found that a neighbour of Andrew’s has a small cannon in his garden and that it was recovered during dredging of the Congo river in Kinshasa before ending up in Shieldaig. Although this cannon is not of local origin we recorded its dimensions and hope to come back with a more detailed origin for it too.
Next stop Applecross!
Today the SAMPHIRE team have been in Gairloch, meeting the local maritime community. We first stopped on at the local glass-bottom boat operators who were very helpful and wrote up a list of the local scallop divers and skippers for us to contact. We then dropped in to the Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre and spoke to Ian French, a long time resident and expert on marine life. He is a font of knowledge on the local area and passed us lots of useful info and contacts on heritage in the area. Finally we spoke to some of the local fishermen who very kindly invited us on to their boats.
A busy start to the day in Gairloch, the glass-bottom boat, the Gairloch Maritime Wildlife Centre and meeting with local fishermen.
Our second stop in Gairloch was the spectacular local Heritage Museum. We met retired local fisherman Derek Roxborough who was in the museum for the day demonstrating how to make and repair fishing gear. He gave us an impromptu tour of the boats in the museum’s collections and gave us a first-hand account of their use and subsequent preservation. We picked up some exciting leads on unreported marine archaeology sites which we hope to chase up later in this trip. Watch this space!
The SAMPHIRE team learning a few things about the local fishing industry at the Gairloch Heritage Museum.
On the 10th of May the SAMPHIRE team gave an hour-long talk on marine archaeology, the SAMPHIRE project and recent work we have done in Scotland to the Inverness branch of the British Sub-Aqua club. The venue was the beautifully-situated Kessock Lifeboat Station under Kessock Bridge.
The SAMPHIRE team talking with the Inverness BSAC at North Kessock.
Dr. Simon Davidson spoke about the background to the project and John McCarthy gave a presentation on work done last year at Drumbeg. The Inverness club is the largest in the Highlands and over 30 divers attended the talk. We also gave out flyers from the SAMPHIRE project and also from related projects by our colleagues at the Nautical Archaeology Society and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Many of the divers expressed an interest in joining up with the SAMPHIRE team later in the year.
The SAMPHIRE team spent a busy day meeting with divers and boat skippers in Scourie, Elphin and Ullapool.
'The SAMPHIRE team visiting a scallop diver at his home near the village of Scourie to go over the details of a previously unreported historic wreck site.
The team were kindly invited to Elphin by friends Russel & Bridie to discuss the maritime heritage of the area.
Going over the nautical charts in Elphin and enjoying the stunning landscape.
After discovering some leads for future surveys the team then made their way to Ullapool for even more meetings through the beautiful landscape of northwest Scotland.
Lochinver to Ullapool.
The in-depth knowledge of the marine environment and local maritime history held by divers, boat skippers and other members of the marine community is already producing fascinating stories and leads for the project; with the local community at the heart of the next stages of SAMPHIRE.
People like Andy Venters and his sons running a dive charter boat in Ullapool, and local divers provide detailed knowledge of the local maritime environment that can’t be gleaned from paper charts and archives, helping to bring maritime history to life.
Investigating the maritime history around Ullapool with local dive skipper Andy Venters and family, and local divers.
Last nights talk in Drumbeg Village Hall was a full house; around 50 people and standing room only. Thanks to all of you who came along.
Standing room only in the Drumbeg Village Hall for the Project SAMPHIRE talk.
Today the team have been in Lochinver meeting with the local maritime community. The first few days have already produced new leads on historic shipwrecks in the area and some new sites to investigate.
Project SAMPHIRE in Lochinver, investigating the maritime history of the area with the local community.
The team spent some time talking to the Highland Council dive team working in Lochinver harbour about their experiences and extensive maritime knowledge of the region.
The Highland Council Dive team discuss the maritime history of the region with the SAMPHIRE team.
The SAMPHIRE team have been out and about in Kinlochbervie today meeting members of the local maritime community who have a deep knowledge of the area.
Kinlochbervie: the Project SAMPHIRE team, investigating the local maritime heritage of northwest Scotland with local community experts.
After 40 years working at sea, boat skipper Jimmy, is hugely knowledgable about the maritime environment of northwest Scotland. He has been sharing this wealth of information with John, Simon and Jonathan, the Project SAMPHIRE team leading to some new leads on previously unknown maritime heritage.
There are plenty of stories to be told on the the maritime heritage of the area.
Tonight the team are in Drumbeg giving a talk on the recent wreck survey. It’s free to attend – all are welcome.
John McCarthy of WA Coastal & Marine
The early stage planning for Project SAMPHIRE is underway. We’re beginning to set up our route for the summer field trip for meetings and talks on the West Coast.
Our draft itinerary is currently:
If you have a site or are interested in knowing more please get in contact.