Also known as: Hispania
The undisputed queen of the Sound of Mull, the Hispania draws divers back season after season. This Swedish cargo steamer ran aground on Sgeir Mor reef in December 1954, settling upright with barely a list. Sixty-plus years of immersion have transformed her into an underwater garden — every surface encrusted with plumose anemones, dead-mans fingers, and jewel-like tunicates that glow under torchlight. Her holds still yawn open, inviting careful exploration among the remnants of sheet metal and rubber cargo. The engine room remains navigable for those with penetration experience. Normally buoyed and sitting just inshore of the channel marker, she is one of the easiest signature wrecks to find in Scottish waters. Dive her at slack and she rewards you with a display of marine life few temperate wrecks can match.
Ran aground on Sgeir Mor reef in poor conditions while transiting the Sound of Mull. Cargo was later salvaged, but the vessel settled on the seabed and was never raised.
SS Hispania is a cargo vessel wreck located off Argyll, United Kingdom at a depth of 32 metres. The vessel was lost due to grounding in 1954. The wreck is diveable.
SS Hispania lies at 15 to 32 metres depth, Sound of Mull, inshore of the red channel marker near Sgeir Mor reef.
SS Hispania ran aground on 18 December 1954, off Argyll, United Kingdom. 0 people lost their lives.
Diving the SS Hispania is rated intermediate and is suitable for divers with an Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent. Minimum certification: PADI Open Water / BSAC Ocean Diver. Recommended: PADI AOWD / BSAC Sports Diver.
The best months to dive SS Hispania are May, June, July, August, September. Water temperature ranges from 7°C in winter to 14°C in summer.
SS Hispania is accessed by boat from Lochaline, Argyll, United Kingdom.
| Month | Temp | Visibility | Access | Marine life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.0°C | 5.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Feb | 7.0°C | 5.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Mar | 7.5°C | 6.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Apr | 8.5°C | 7.0m | marginal | Moderate — season starting |
| May | 10.0°C | 8.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, anemones, soft corals |
| Jun | 11.5°C | 10.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, anemones, soft corals |
| Jul | 13.0°C | 13.0m | good | Peak — seals, large shoals, nudibranchs, plumose anemones |
| Aug | 14.0°C | 15.0m | good | Peak — seals, large shoals, nudibranchs, plumose anemones |
| Sep | 13.0°C | 12.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, anemones, soft corals |
| Oct | 11.0°C | 8.0m | marginal | Good — wrasse, pollock, anemones, soft corals |
| Nov | 9.0°C | 6.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Dec | 8.0°C | 5.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
3 evidence records from 3 sources.
Deck at 15-20m, seabed/stern at 30-32m. Sits upright with slight starboard list. Densely covered in anemones, tunicates and hydroids.
Swedish cargo steamer, ran aground on Sgeir Mor reef in Sound of Mull, 18 December 1954. Built 1912 at Hoboken, Belgium. 1,323 GRT.
One of the most popular Sound of Mull dives. Normally buoyed. Holds and engine room accessible.
Sound of Mull, inshore of the red channel marker near Sgeir Mor reef