SS Glenisla was a 1263 ton collier built in 1878 by WB Thomson & Co Ltd, Dundee. She sunk in Bressay Sound following a collision with the steamship Glenelg, which was under tow having been  torpedoed. My friend Fiona Watson’s interesting account of the history of SS Glenisla is given in RN Baird’s ‘Shipwrecks of the North of Scotland’. It seems she was a very accident prone ship, having been involved in a number of incidents, some with fatal consequences. The wreck, large parts of which are still very intact, now lies upright in 45m of water.

Amy and I dived the wreck in 2016; the visibility was excellent and large sections of the wreck were visible at any one time. The engine room is interesting and appeared (to my untrained eye) to have rather an unusual design, with a large, spherical condensor. Further aft there were a few tiles scattered about, the remains of a galley perhaps. A spare four-bladed propeller lies among the wreckage. I also found a chunk of bright white phosphorous lying about on the seabed.

Visibility the day we dived the wreck was fantastic, absolutely gin clear.