2nd April 2013
by Richard Booth & Hubert Desgranges
En-route from Glenuig back to the NE of England, Hubert and Richard could not resist the temptation to stop and dive the waters of Loch Leven just outside Ballachulish.
Parking off the road, in the woodland car park next to the St Johns church and cemetery, we quickly kitted up before making a quick dash across the busy A82 road before descending the short track down to the edge of the loch. Around us, we were surrounded by distance peaks capped in snow. The water was going to be cold!
On the plus side however, it was also evident that the underwater visibility was looking very promising. Swimming out we submerged and quickly descended down to the edge where the sandy bottom soon gave way to a rocky submarine cliff face. Here every exposed surface appeared to be covered in marine life, ranging from army’s of brittle stars, to vast colonies of peacock worms.
With the clear water and excellent visibility we found ourselves drawn down into the depths until common sense kicked in; we still had a long journey to complete over some high hills!
We briefly paused at 32 metres before making a gentle ascent back up the cliff face taking time to admire the marine life. Once back in the shallows we completed our safety stops. Here we found a large white nudibranch slowly moving across the bottom.
Back at the car having once again negotiated the busy road, we sat out in the sunshine, absorbing the warmth back into our bodies and admiring the view. As shore dives go this site must rate as one of the UK’s most spectacular and adventurous dives.
