Queenie Reef

Queenie Reef is a shore-dive site on Loch Creran, near Oban on the west coast of Scotland. The loch has held Marine Protected Area status since 2014 and also carries Special Area of Conservation designation, internationally recognised for its biogenic reefs built by the tube worm Serpula vermicularis — the only known living reefs of their kind in the UK and unique in Europe. Flame shell beds add further habitat complexity, together supporting a high diversity of marine life.

The site drops to a maximum of 22 metres along a wall profile. Entry is from shore, with kitting up at a nearby layby. The upper 1.5 metres can be blurry where freshwater and saltwater mix — a halocline effect caused by freshwater input into the saltwater loch — but below that the water clears and visibility is good.

Water temperature ranges from 7°C at the surface and in the shallows to a warmer 12°C at depth in winter conditions. Divers on a late-November visit recorded 7°C at entry, with air temperature at 4°C and ice on the ground, so appropriate exposure protection is essential.