Along the southeastern coast of Scotland, St Abbs, is a small fishing village to the north of Eyemouth on the Berwickshire coast. Originally known as Coldingham Shore prior to 1890’s, St Abbs was named after Æbbe, a 7th-century Northumbrian princess who struggled ashore here after being shipwrecked and promptly founded a nunnery. This remote fishing village now is surrounded by craggy cliffs and old fishermen’s cottages cascading down into surf-battered harbours. Given the variety in Scotland’s wild and breathtaking landscapes, the water surrounding St Abbs offers scuba divers some of the most scenic and exciting cold water diving in the world. The sea around the village is unusually clear in contrast to the more silt-laden coastal water further north or south with the exception of the Farne Islands. St Abb’s clear water and spectacular underwater scenery have resulted in Britain’s first voluntary marine reserve being established on August 18, 1984 by David Bellamy. The region of St Abbs is said to have some of the best shore diving in the UK. In fact, the waters reach depths of about 15 meters (50 feet) just outside the harbour wall and are easily navigated. However, we opted for boat diving and visited a number of sites, including my personal favourite, anemone gully.
