#Corryvreckan maelstrom full#
#Corryvreckan maelstrom series#

Your wildlife guide will tell you the tragic but romantic story of a Viking prince whom the Corryveckan may have been named after. We also see many seabirds around the Corryvreckan with gannets diving from great heights to catch fish. On all our trips you will discover that the area around the Corryvreckan is rich in wildlife, why is this? Well, it is all to do with the currents which bring very rich feeding in to the area which attracts lots of large mammals such as porpoises, dolphins and whales. If you would like to come on a trip when the tides are at their strongest book one of our Whirlpool Specials. Scenic diving in this part of the West Coast of Scotland reveals a world of reefs, seamounts (pinnacles). Situated to the north of Jura and lying just off Scarbas southern shore, the Gulf is transformed into a whirlpool during both flood and ebb tides as the sea. Sometimes, depending on wind and tide there are standing waves around the pinnacle, these can be very dramatic and impressive. Reefs, Pinnacles and the Corryvreckan Whirlpool.

#Corryvreckan maelstrom series#

The tide runs around the pinnacle and the river of fast moving turbulent water can create series of rotating eddies at either edge as it passes slower moving water. Your trip will take you to an underwater pinnacle, 30 mtrs deep at the top with steep underwater cliffs to depths of 220 mtrs. As the tide flows through the channel it gets squeezed between the two islands and picks up lots of speed. The Corryvreckan is bounded on the north side by Scarba and on the south side by Jura. The whirlpool is famous the world over and has been the subject of books, documentaries, plays and also played a dramatic part in Powell and Pressburger's 1945 film 'I Know Where I'm Going' with Wendy Hiller as the heroine falling for the Laird of Kiloran (Roger Livesey) as nature and the Corryvreckan Whirlpool played their part.īoat trips can be taken to view the whirlpool or it can be seen from dry land off the northern tip of Jura.All trips visit the Corryvreckan Whirlpool where under certain conditions turbulent tides create one of the world’s largest series of whirlpools, upwellings and standing waves. Orwell managed to get his boat to the small outcrop of Eilean Mor and was rescued by a fisherman. George Orwell, who wrote '1984' on Jura had to be rescued from the clutches of the whirlpool in 1947 after a boat trip with his son, niece and nephew went awry. Legend states that the rope made from hair failed as one of the maidens had been unfaithful.Ĭorryvreckan has been compared to the gateway to Hell and sailors have drowned whilst trying to navigate a passage through the body of water. On the third day of anchorage, after the hemp and wool ropes had broken, the virgins' hair rope gave way and Breachan was drowned. I call it the Corrybrecken in a story that. The King had to prove his bravery in order to marry a princess of the isles.īreachan anchored his boat in the whirlpool to prove his courage, using three ropes - one made from hemp, one from wool and one from virgins' hair. We have the third largest whirlpool here in the UK and it features in LANDFALL. As the tide enters the gulf, the current speeds up to 8.5 knots, or about 10 miles per hour. An underwater basalt pillar known as 'The Old Hag' then forces the tidal water upwards, as the water smashes off the sides of the channel, resulting in the maelstrom that is the whirlpool.Īccording to tradition the Corryvreckan, or Coire Bhreacain, Whirlpool is named after Norse King Breachan. Within Scotland’s territory between the islands of Scarba and Jura, the Gulf of Corryvreckan holds a mystery: a whirlpool. Tides from the east and west of Jura meet off the northernmost tip of the island where the Corryvreckan is located, funnelling in to the spot at great force. The Corryvreckan Whirlpool is one of the largest whirlpools in the world.

#Corryvreckan maelstrom full#

The whirlpool holds a strange allure for sailors and wild swimmers despite its channel being defined as unnavigable by the Royal Navy.Īt slack water the torrents are benign disguising the dangers of the site.Īt full strength the currents can reach over 10 knots, standing waves rear up and the whirlpool can be heard 10 miles away. The Corryvreckan Whirlpool lies between the islands of Jura and Scarba and is known for its fierce waters.