The Edge of the World
It was early morning June 1984 dawn light had just crept in I stood alone in the wheel house, my other diving companions asleep below .The only noise the whirring of the ships radar. Looking out of the windows I traced the crescent shore line of the bay and peered into the cover on the green screen picking out the jagged echo’s of the other islands. It was my turn on anchor watch to make sure the anchor held. It looked all very calm to me with not much chance of, dragging we couldn’t drift could we? I knew better I had heard of the reputation of this place they didn’t call the passage out the St Kilda dash for nothing, it was a serious undertaking there was little in the way of other shelter or land until 70 miles east of us and next stop the US the other way. Weather wise the reality was it could all go pear shaped very quickly. I reflected on our luck, we were fortunate to get a window in the weather and be here.
It was a surreal panorama, on one side of the bay jagged prehistoric looking peaks lay outlined against the morning sky and in direct contrast on the other side perhaps what was the height of technology modern buildings the manned tracking station with hi tech aerials and golf ball radar domes.
Our arrival to this archipelago was an event in itself an18 hour overnight passage I searched out sanctuary from sea sickness in my bunk in the bow and slept through the worst of the battering. Sensing the waters had calmed I dragged myself out of my bunk and went for some fresh air topside. Appearing eerily out of the sea mist in the distance, what looked like mountains pointing straight out of the sea. As we crept closer with the swirling mist the whole scene increasingly looking like a backdrop for Jurassic park,talk about island on the edge of the world I hadn’t seen anything like that before, the place was special. I contemplated if the underwater topography was anything like what was showing above water, we were in for a diving treat, what a place!
We dropped anchor in Village Bay one of the few safe anchorages sheltered from the Atlantics battering and the only inhabited area of the islands. I learnt that you just don’t drop in ashore on St Kilda, as access is controlled and hence we radioed for permission to be granted to come ashore. It’s a place of contrasts, Crofts that once housed the resilient now long gone St Kildan community were now derelict and empty and lie in the shadow of the modern conveniences associated with an occupation of the island.
During our foray ashore the stations commanding officer welcomed and introduced himself we discovered was a keen diver. Frustratingly for him he was the only diver at the station and despite his posting to this diving heaven he hadn’t been able to buddy up and explore the waters.
As first dive we were going to have a night dive off the boat in the bay, nothing too taxing, the C.O. (Commanding Officer) was invited to join us .As it doesn’t get dark in these latitudes till late we thought 11pm should see darkness descend and be about right. Well as things happened by the time we got sorted and ready to kit up on deck it was midnight, embarrassingly it still wasn’t dark best described as a twilight, so light you could easily read a newspaper, so much for our night dive weird a strange place this St Kilda.
Over the next few days we motored out of our anchorage of Village bay, maximising our time exploring the archipelago, diving directly off the boat or occasionally from the small inflatable tender. We explored Dun, Sgarbh Stac, Achlaisir ,The Saw cut I had read about these, all known as legendary dive sites. The diving was superb, crystal clear blue oceanic water with regular 30m vis, fantastic underwater archways of cathedral like proportions. One particular dive was even more memorable. Whilst my dive buddy and I were doing some underwater abseiling hanging off a cliff face at 30m we were startled to see a flock of seabirds nonchalantly dive past in what looked like underwater flight in pursuit of fish. Don’t see that everyday do ya?
Throughout the week every dive yielded that Wow factor, there was a lot about St Kilda and the atmosphere that for me and others left you lost for words a “special Place”. I’ve dived many places since all memorable in their own right for a variety of reasons but I’ve yet to find something to match Kilda. Maybe I’ll get back someday!! Suffice to say if you get the chance of a trip to “Go For it” you won’t regret it.
At Anchor Village Bay
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