Top ten British scuba diving sites

You may not believe it but the UK coastline is full of sea life and fascinating places to explore underwater. Water we have plenty of, we are an island after all. But we also have some of the best scuba diving sites of anywhere in the world. A holiday cottage and a wetsuit, what's not to love!

While nothing can beat clear, warm seas with visibility for miles, our own shores have interest aplenty. From old wrecks, reefs to wildlife and creatures you wouldn't expect to see around the cool waters of the UK. So this week's posts are going to focus on the top ten British scuba diving locations.

Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands

Scapa Flow has to be the most popular diving area in the country, if not Europe. The remains of the German High Seas Fleet was sunk here in 1919 and many of the ships remain. Along with more recent wrecks, this is definitely a place where any diver worth their salt is going to want to tick off their to do list.

Eddystone Reef, Plymouth

Moving away from wrecks for a moment, let's try a reef. Just 12 miles off the coast of Plymouth is Eddystone Lighthouse and Reef. Set at around 50 metres depth, this reef is full of life and colour, including jewel anemone live there and if you're lucky, you'll also get to see a 17th century anchor lying close by.

James Eagan Layne, Plymouth

The James Eagan Layne was torpedoed off the coast of Plymouth during World War 2 and sits under just six metres of water. It is a very accessible wreck, making it suitable for divers of all levels and the water around Devon and Cornwall is lovely and clear most of the time.

We also have hundreds of holiday cottages around the two counties, so you're not short of choice either!

M2, Portland

Just along the coast from the James Eagan Layne is the M2 experimental submarine lying in 36 metres of water in Lyme Bay. It's an unusual vessel with an aircraft hangar attached. It sank in 1932 with all hands and is a fascinating dive to see what is a very unusual creation.

Lundy Island, Bristol Channel

Lundy Island is full of life and so are the waters around it. Time it right and the water is clear, warm and teeming with fish, sea creatures and maybe even some very playful seals. It's a no-take area, so there really is a lot of marine life to see!

We have holiday cottages in close proximity to all of these dives, so if you're looking for something a little different for your summer break, you know what to do!

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