The slipway

There is a sign that always makes me smile on the drive around the head of Loch Carron, “Strome Ferry (no ferry)”. The other end of this disused ferry crossing is North Strome across the narrowest point of the Loch, 15 miles by road or 700 yards by water, and whose sturdy slipway at North Strome provides a most convenient entry to a superb dive site.

The tide powers through that narrow gap, emptying and re-filling the loch, twice a day and that energy means the sea bed is teeming with life. The substrate is rather special, actually. It looks and feels a little like leather, but is actually made from dead kelp fronds bound together by tiny fibres to create a giant mat over the seabed and so provide a haven for a mass of bivalves which shelter beneath, filtering food from the water. These Flame Shells are vulnerable because they cannot withdraw their tentacles and are rarely seen but above their protective covering there’s lots of activity.

My most recent visit in February, at a time when Scottish weather is at its least clement was also at a time of spring tides, when the flow is at its strongest. Yet at slack water, the underwater scene is deceptively peaceful. Although last year’s kelp fronds are tatty and soon to be replaced by this season’s growth, there is still plenty of activity and I spent a pleasant hour taking in the scene on series of dives at this site.

Easy entry to the water, especially at high tide

The view just before descent

In the kelp zone

Sea Toads

Edible crab

Patches of the bed are writhing with Brittlestars

The ever-present Long-clawed Squat Lobster

Short-clawed Squat Lobster

Scorpion fish. This fish was not settled as I was shooting it. At first, I thought my torch might be disturbing it, but I soon realised that it was using the pool of light to hunt for prey and would suddenly dart forward and grab some small food item

Lovely Dahlia Anemone. The foreground shows the fine stone substrate but the background shows the carpet of bound kelp fronds

Shore dive in Conservation Bay

Even in the depths of winter, this site on the shore of Loch Carron in NW Scotland is bustling with life. This week brings the extra flow of spring tides, but my buddy and I slipped in around low water and had half an hour before the current got too strong for comfort. Out in the channel I could feel the flood tide building, so we swan back to the wall near the shore and then experienced a strong current in the other direction as the water eddied around the bay

Long-clawed squat lobster

It’s hard to love a sea toad

The sea bed was writhing with brittlestars

I can’t resist a hermit crab! This one looks like he’s gone cross-eyed admiring his tufty antennae

This massive sea slug is called Tritonia hombergii and likes nothing more than eating dead man’s fingers. Good job my fingers are alive!

Pretty blue and orange squattie – this is the short-clawed variety. They’re normally shy; perhaps they’re intimidated by all the long claws of their neighbours?

Conservation Bay – entry is usually by the rocky wall in the right of this image, after a 100yd walk from the road