Isles of Scilly · United Kingdom · Pinnacle
Bishop Rock
The most south-westerly rock in the United Kingdom
Bishop Rock is the pinnacle at the most south-westerly point of the United Kingdom, among the best pinnacle dives in the country. The rock drops to 48 m in water where the tide rarely stops running, which makes it a demanding dive reserved for experienced divers.
Also known as The Bishop.
Where it is and how deep
49.8722° N, 6.4447° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The pinnacle drops to 48 m. At the base the bottom is rock and fine white sand, with some rocks as big as houses standing over 10 m proud and other pinnacles rising 30 m from the sea floor. Nearly all the walls are covered with life, and crawfish live on the ledges. Below 20 m there is rarely much movement in the water.
Ascending, divers pass a sloping ledge at about 27 m where part of an iron pillar from the original lighthouse lies. The kelp starts to thicken at around 10 m, where friendly ballan wrasse frequent the rock and the tide starts to pick up.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Isles of Scilly: Weather keeps the season short: most charters run from May to September, and a summer storm can still interrupt a trip.
Know before you go
- The tide is always on the run around the rock, and slack water is rare on big spring tides.
- Downfalls can pour over the ledges during the ascent, so divers stay close to the rock face to avoid being swept off.
Dive videos
Bishop Rock Lighthouse 220623 · Ian Hicks SCUBA on YouTube
Sources
- Around the Rugged Rock — Divernet
Photo credits
- A slim grey lighthouse on the horizon over open blue sea, with a flock of dark seabirds flying low over the water by Mike Prince from Bangalore, India, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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