Caledonian Canal

MV Hatherleigh is a grand old lady.  A 100-foot ex-sidewinder trawler, her bow is designed to cut through icy north Atlantic seas.  We took her on a dive expedition from Scarborough to the Hebrides, St Kilda, the Flannan isles and North Rona.

Captain Terry Bunker knows and loves the Hatherleigh well; he has skippered her through many waters and weathers.  But he has never been able to pick leaves from trees through the wheelhouse window.  The narrow waters of the Caledonian canal presented us with many challenges, especially where the bottom needed dredging.

Here’s the Hatherleigh climbing canal locks at Fort Augustus.

Over the next few days, I’ll share stories and underwater footage from our dive expedition.