James Barrie
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?
About this site
The James Barrie is a 666-ton Hull-registered trawler lying in Hoxa Sound, Orkney. Built as the Benella, she was renamed the James Barrie in 1951. On 28 March 1969 — just two weeks after the Longhope lifeboat disaster — she ran aground on Muckle Skerry in the Pentland Firth. After her crew were saved she refloated and was taken under tow toward Scapa Flow, but foundered en route in Hoxa Sound. She now lies on her starboard side and is mostly intact, with a maximum depth of around 43–44 m on a sandy bottom.
Visibility at the James Barrie is generally very good, but the site sits in an area of extreme tidal currents and must be dived at slack water only. The strong tides make this a technically demanding dive, suited to experienced and technical divers who can time their entry precisely around the tide.
Marine life on the wreck includes hornwrack, hydroids, dead man's fingers, feather stars, sea urchins, and fish.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
OrcaOrcinus orcaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
No notes yet. Dived here? Be the first to leave a tip.
Share a write-up or a photo. Submissions are reviewed before they appear on the page.
Nearby dive sites
Shops that dive here
No shops have listed this site yet.