Clare Pettinger delights in revisiting St Abbs, a place she has come to regard as a second home
Clare( centre right) and friends at the famous New Asgard sign
A happy place
Clare Pettinger delights in revisiting St Abbs, a place she has come to regard as a second home
Briefing: Tucked away on the rugged southeast coast of Scotland, St Abbs is a charming fishing village that also happens to be one of the UK’ s most beloved dive sites. It lies within a voluntary marine reserve, offering dramatic underwater landscapes, vibrant marine life, and a sense of calm that keeps calling me back. After so many dives here, St Abbs genuinely feels like my second home. lumpsuckers in breeding season, and hovered, heart pounding, as seals curiously circled me in the shadows. There’ s a rawness to the wildlife here that never fails to thrill.
St Abbs Harbour itself adds to the charm. The dive boats are run by knowledgeable locals who treat you like family, the atmosphere is warm and inclusive. Even the surface intervals feel special, surround by seabirds on the cliffs, the call of the gulls, and the everchanging North Sea stretching to the horizon.
Debrief: For me, St Abbs isn’ t just a dive site, it’ s where I’ ve found quiet, wonder and community below the waves. It’ s my happy place.
The dive: From the first moment I descended beneath the surface at Cathedral Rock, I was hooked. The natural arches, covered in soft corals and anemones, create an almost cathedrallike stillness and awe. Light filters down through the gaps, highlighting the pollock and wrasse that come to greet you. It’ s peaceful, magical and never the same twice. Over the years, I’ ve come to know the contours of Black Carr, Wuddy Rocks, and Big Green Carr like familiar footpaths.
What makes St Abbs special isn’ t just the topography, it’ s the life it supports. The reefs are bursting with colour: bright orange dead man’ s fingers, jewel anemones, and delicate nudibranchs that demand a slower pace to truly appreciate them. I’ ve watched wolf fish peer from their dens, spotted shy
Brittlestar aggregation at Black Carr
The rocky Berwickshire coast
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