Cargo vessel · 1887–1889 · Argyll, United Kingdom
SS Thesis
Also known as Thesis.
Small but full of surprises, the Thesis has a story unlike any other wreck in the Sound of Mull. This iron screw steamer went down in October 1889 carrying pig iron, and for decades she lay forgotten on a sloping shingle seabed.
In the 1970s, salvors arrived not for treasure but for her hull plates — pre-nuclear iron, free from the background radiation that contaminated all steel produced after the first atomic tests. That salvage stripped her bare, but in doing so it created an unusually open wreck where framework ribs, deck beams and cargo holds are all exposed to exploration. The pig iron remains scattered throughout.
- Type
- Cargo vesselBritish
- Year built
- 1887MacIlwaine, Lewis & Co., Dublin
- Lost
- October 1889Grounding
- Tonnage
- 378 GRTsteam
- Length
- 50.9 m7.6 m beam
- Depth
- 14–32 m
- Location
- Argyll, United KingdomInner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
3 of 7 facts above are cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 100 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost October 1889 · Grounding · Argyll, United Kingdom.
Sank approximately four hours later. No casualties recorded.
Built 1887 by MacIlwaine, Lewis & Co., Dublin; 2 years in service, also recorded as Thesis. Lost October 1889, grounding.
The Voyage
- Cargo
- Pig iron (Middlesbrough to Belfast)
Condition of the WreckBroken, lying upright on keel, in 14–32 m, on shingle.
Intactness
She sits upright on her keel on shingle that slopes away. In the 1970s her hull plates were taken off for salvage, prized as low-radiation steel made before the nuclear age, and their removal laid bare the framework and holds underneath.
Notable Features
- Pre-nuclear low-radiation steel hull (plates removed 1970s)
- Exposed framework and holds
- Pig iron cargo visible
Additional Details14 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Builder
- MacIlwaine, Lewis & Co., Dublin
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- October 1889
- Latitude
- 56.5006° N
- Longitude
- 5.6906° W
- Water body
- Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Broken
- Orientation
- Upright on keel
- Seabed
- Shingle
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record10 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record6 facts
- Fyne Pioneerfynepioneer.co.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- Divernetdivernet.com · Club or operator1 fact
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
A further 5 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SS Thesis?
SS Thesis is the wreck of a cargo vessel, off Argyll, United Kingdom, at 32 metres. SS Thesis ran aground and was wrecked in 1889.
How deep is the SS Thesis?
SS Thesis lies at 14 to 32 metres, Sound of Mull, southern end, off Rubha an Ridire (Inninmore Point).
How did the SS Thesis sink?
SS Thesis ran aground and was wrecked on October 1889, off Argyll, United Kingdom.