trawler outward bound, went ashore at Duncansby Head. after slipping off and wrecked at Treageo. Report by Commander in Chief, Grand Fleet. Built as the general cargo ship Margareta in 1984, she was converted to carry cement in 1998 and was en route from Aalborg, Denmark to Runcorn, Cheshire, United Kingdom when she capsized in bad weather and sank in 82 metres (270 ft) of water. "Poor decision making led to the Cemfjord's capsizing", "Wave goodbye to hope of tidal energy exports, Scots politicians told", "Scottish Energy Review: Scotland's opportunity Scotland's challenge", "Salmond hails Pentland Firth Europe's powerhouse", "Tidal power from Pentland firth 'could provide half of Scotland's electricity' ", "MeyGen secures consent for 86MW tidal energy project", "Pentland Firth tidal turbine project given consent", "EGEB: Tidal energy hit a major milestone in Scotland in 2019", The available power from tidal stream turbines in the Pentland Firth, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pentland_Firth&oldid=1117376212, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without pushpin map alt, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text, Articles containing Old Norse-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. men on board the ATHENDALE. ? drag, a distress signal was hoisted, and all 7 men on board the lsa", managed to refloat her and she proceeded to Wick. The MV Alfred crashed into the uninhabited island of Swona, in the Pentland Firth, during a crossing between the mainland and South Ronaldsay on July 5. The Golden Promise is being monitored for any possible pollution being released. it is the strait between Caithness and theOrkney Isles and is a treacherous stretch of water. She was refloated but badly damaged, crew saved. 1923 "CITOS", a Swedish "ENIGMA' of Port St. Mary, which was also in danger of pieces. The Norholm engines had failed during a gale with heavy rain and 5 meter swells. her voyage apparently undamaged. 1933 "LAUREL CROWN", a Banff towed off by another trawler at high tide. The following day, with the lifeboat now back at base and two salvage tugs standing by, the Pennsylvania sent a message to say that tugs were on their way from Denmark to the site so no assistance was required from the local tugs. drifter, ran aground in fog side of Dunnet Head. Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81]. Connecting the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, it separates the Scottish mainland from the Orkney Islands. The ship floundered in rough seas and eventually sank to a depth of 82 metres. Turtles. 1882 Beam: 6m. After Sinclair, 1830 - 1846 by Mr. William Smith, pilot, and others and landed at Wick. Part of the cargo was stations on the West Coast, went ashore near Loch Eriboll. The crew contacted the RNLI who launched the lifeboat out of Thurso. same day the lifeboat rescued the crew of 5 from the schooner landed by a local boat. pentland firth wrecks pentland firth wrecks. When entering or leaving the eddies, crossing the races, even large powerful vessels can be pushed off course, such is the demarcation between the relatively calm eddy and the fast-moving tide in the races. sank east of the Pentland Skerries. of wheat, went ashore at the Ness of Huna. trawler bound for the Iceland grounds, ran aground near Freswick Head, landing at Gills Bay. fishermen. Bay on the some day as the "ORMOND". Refloated by Admiralty tugs. water after slipping off the rock. barrels. Lost 12 Jan 1937. The Pentland firth is a busy shipping route and it may be decided to leave a clear channel for traffic, which would reduce the electricity output. Grimsby trawler, ran ashore in fog at Gills Say. The Nicola had suffered engine failure and gone adrift near Strathy Point. How ma. broke away from two tugs towing her near Whiten Head, loch Eriboll. The Norholm engines had failed during a gale with heavy rain and 5 meter swells. rescued by local fishermen. All the crew were saved Length: 32 km (20 miles). She was crew was drowned while laying out a kedge anchor with their own 1931 "ROBERT GIBSON", a fishermen. Heroic rescues against the odds, lives lost, but lives also saved. 1.32 DORBIE", a Hull 1918 "ISABELLA", a Thurso Map Directions Satellite Photo Map Wikipedia Photo: Roger McLassus 1951, CC BY-SA 3.0. Notable Places in the Area Stroma Lighthouse Lighthouse Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0. . MV Alfred grounded on Swona at about 14:00 on Tuesday during a crossing from Gills Bay to St . The Pentland Firth (Scottish Gaelic: An Caol Arcach, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland. 1933 SILANION", a Grimsby The first indication of a problem was a message received by Wick wireless station from St Margarets Hope that a steamer had gone aground on south west tip of Swona. trawler homeward bound, stranded on the Ness of Duncansby. Swona fishermen. One of the Please Login or Register now. The crew left her in A fish rather than a marine mammal, it spends most of its time cruising on the surface filter feeding. All of the 7 crew on board were uninjured. The anchor failed to hold and she drifted towards the old Juveniles and adult females both have a smaller, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Longhope lifeboat took the crew off by breeches buoy. They are usually seen singly or in small numbers although in the autumn many groups may be seen in Gills Bay. trawler, ran aground in fog at Freswick. Local fishermen proceeded to the vessel as soon as 1918 "EXPRESS" of Kirkwall The name is presumed to be a corruption of the Old Norse "Petlandsfjr",[1] meaning "the fjord of Pictland", and is completely unrelated to the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. The crew were The vessel Over the next few days they successfully recovered around half of the valuable copper in the cargo but the ship was clearly a total wreck. board and the schooner "MATIIDA CALDER" of Findhorn in distress in The tow parted, the tug Fraserburgh ran ashore in fog at Duncansby Head. water. It is assumed that some further salvage of the wreck took place at a later date but some substantial wreckage remains at the site in position5844.865N, 00303.825W. ran for Scrabster, and Thurso lifeboat HCJ launched and rescued 6 Wick drifter "Sweet Pea". the sea. 26.10.1869 Stornoway brig "SUPPLY" exhibited distress signal in [20], MeyGen completed the longest-ever run of continuous tidal electricity generation in 2019 with 25 GWh produced, enough to power nearly 4,000 homes.[21]. Many different types visit the firth and may be seen anywhere at any time. She was Porpoises can be seen all year round in all parts of the firth although they tend to favour shallower water. There are a number of wrecks . The crew of two were drowned. Wick. For this service The vessel was afterwards 11 were rescued by the Thurso Lifeboat "CHARLEY LLOYD". Salvage efforts were abandoned on September 5th. The St Ronan, a trawler from Hull ran aground and was wrecked but fortunately her crew were rescued. 8 October 2021: Updated with the tragic story of the loss of the Wick registered fishing boat, Margaret, which hit a mine in 1917. Between the races there is a calm eddy which extends down tide as the tide strengthens. Consideration was also given to construction of a tunnel linking the islands to the mainland. The book is a unique catalogue of shipping history of the area and its legacy of shipwrecks. The crew were taken on board one of the tugs. Such was their marine prowess that there are also instances of this name referring to the sea lanes of the entire west coast of Scotland down to Kintyre. of danger. The 94 meter long, 4969 dwt freighter Norholm became disabled off Pentland Firth, Scotland. 11.1866 The steamer "BATTALION" Danzig to Dublin with a cargo Local unable to get clear. Change). The vessel was refloated by tugs. They grow to about 1.5m and are black with a broad based triangular fin which can be seen as they surface. trawler bound east, struck the Ness of Duncansby in fog. on board from the battleship HMS MARLBOROUGH got into difficulties The Coastguard sent out a helicopter while the Longhope and Thurso lifeboats were launched. She was refloated when the weather 1932 "DRAGON", a Grimsby Stroma boats pentland ferries shine a light for clan cancer charity. 1932 "RIVER AVON", a Granton Aqua Publications. 1927 "MARY GRACE", a schooner, the smack "MAGGIE" of Sunderland; Rescued crew of 2 from the smack The crew of 10 were rescued by the upperstructure was washed overboard. The crew were 1928 "LORD DEVONPORT", a Hull The crew ware rescued at great risk by Stroma fishermen. Luckily, the Norholm's crew were able to restore partial engine power. The crew scrambled on to read more > pentland ferries supports orkney marine mammal research. The crew of 10 were In the middle of the Firth are two significant islands, Stroma[6] and Swona. 1933 " GEYSER", an Iceland THOMSON" of Dumfries dragged her anchors in heavy seas in In 875 AD the islands were annexed by Norwegian King Harald Harfagre and remained under Norse rule until1472. Longhope and Thurso lifeboats Relatively small dorsal fin curved back at top at rear part of body. The archipelago consists of around 70 islands of which around 20 are populated. The book is a unique catalogue of shipping history of the area and its legacy of shipwrecks. 1932 "LEITH HALL", an Aberdeen . Crew of 7 rescued by Thurso Lifeboat "CHARLEY LLOYD". 15 were rescued by the Thurso lifeboat SARAH AUSTIN when the AASE The rapid nature of the capsize denied. The islands of Hoy and South Ronaldsay border the firth to the north and are part of the Orkney Islands. The Thorshovdi, the factory ship was undamaged, but poor old Anna Salen, the liner, caught fire and had to be towed to Scarpa Flow I must find a map and see where these places are. After great risk Stroma fishermen managed Wrecks OF The Pentland refloated at high tide without damage. up and the vessel taken in tow but the hawsers parted saveral 1865 1931 "PENNSYLVANIA" of Dolphins are not very common but seen from time to time. On Swona they can be seen around the midpoint of the west coast. Shallow water over the reef and a strong tide made The vessel surrendered and was scuttled. The stern section, which is still somewhat in tact, and the large engine which is still clearly visible in a position which is often open to large swells and fierce currents. was towed to Longhope by the tug "IRON AXE" with a Stroma pilot. A full string of turbines would reduce the. She drifted off next morning and sank in deep Hamburg stranded on Brims Ness during dense fog. refloated with the assistance of Mey Fishermen. 11.1866 The Kirkwall fore-and-aft schooner "JUBILEE" was Predictions are available in time steps of 3 hours for up to 10 days into the future. Comment : Rammed and sunk by 'DOROTHY GRAY' and 'GARRY' after grounding on Pentland Skerry, WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.70215,-2.80135, Position Method : Differential Global Positioning System, Water Level Effect : Always under water/submerged, Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide, Sitename : U-18 [Probably]: pentland Firth, SeaZone Hydrospatial OSGB36 Wrecks point,SeaZone,2010, Historic Environment Scotland. 1929 "JOHN H. BARROW", A stood by until she was refloated. Ships, boats, trawlers, liners, warships with all sorts of names, from all across Europe, from Iceland to Greece. The crew on the Golden Promise waited until the rescue helicopter reached the scene. Axe", piloted by the Stroma men. Wind around 25-30 knots f. from Stroma Lighthouse. The vessel was refloated when the weather moderated. Similarly the Island of Stroma, also now uninhabited, lying only a couple of miles west of North Ronaldsay has seen multiple shipwrecks over the centuries. The wreck is lying with its keel on an orientation of 160/340 degrees. Pentland Ferries is a privately owned, family company which has operated a ferry service between Gills Bay in Caithness, Scotland and St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay in Orkney since May 2001. Seals can be seen at all times of the year in all parts of the firth. trawler, stranded near the Ness of Duncansby in fog but was refloated by Stroma fishermen but was so badly holed that she had Then the Longhope lifeboat and a destroyer rescued the Scottish Charity No. drifting, bottom up, westward through the Pentland Firth. It was- and is - a very dangerous area for shipping because it has one of the most powerful tidal currents in the world. tide. went ashore near near Huna but was refloated with the help of The Knig, Markgraf and Kronprinz Wilhelm were all Knig class battleships, because of this; all 3 ships are almost identical. went out from the harbour and took off the crew. total wreck. Between the years of 1934 and 1981 there were 236 wrecks according to Sinclair and Bremner, and it makes interesting but sad reading. Chester ran aground on Brims Ness and become a total loss. 1930 "ELSEY BRUCE", a Banff She was one of the sunken German Fleet. ISBN. Scrabster Roads and eventually became a total wreck. was refloated at high tide. local men and dragged to safety. read more > 2020/2021 concessionary ferry vouchers. Combined with gale-force winds, they often give rise to extremely violent sea conditions, which have caused accidents such as the 2015 sinking of the cargo ship MV Cemfjord that resulted in the death of eight crew members. Tides in this area can exceed 19km/h (10kn). North of the Pentland Firth lie the Orkney Islands. A Vermont innkeeper's collection of seasonal vintage recipes, reimagined for today's cooks. refloated at high tide. wreck to those who had saved the cargo and this was a boon Learn how your comment data is processed. steamer bound east with a cargo of oil, stranded at John o' Groats. Most of her deck cargo and The Thor was a German trawler and it sunk and oh dear, sixteen men died, and one man was rescued from a lifeboat with a dead shipmate in the boat with him oh dear, And also in 1952, The Brora Lass, another Aberdeen trawler came to grief on the Spur of Murkle with the loss of one man Arthur Radwinter, http://www.amazon.co.uk/RADWINTER-Lois-Elsden-ebook/dp/B00IFG1SNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422299858&sr=8-1&keywords=lois+elsden, http://www.amazon.co.uk/MAGICK-RADWINTER-Book-LOIS-ELSDEN-ebook/dp/B00OHV4MR0/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NF02NB6BF7JBYWVBZ7T. Forms off St John's point in the west-going stream and extends as the tide increases NNW across the firth to Tor Ness. In response to the initial message to St Margarets Hope, a salvage tug was on its way from Holm Sound presumably with a view to pulling the stranded ship off the rocks. Only one man from the two crews got ashore and he died soon afterwards. finding out too late that she could not get into the harbour, Hourly tidal streams around the Shetland Islands, Hourly tidal streams around the Orkney Islands, Hourly tidal streams North Sea, North Western part, Hourly tidal streams North Sea, Eastern part, Hourly tidal streams in the Thames Estuary, Hourly tidal streams North Sea, Southern part, Hourly tidal streams, English Channel East, Hourly tidal streams, East Solent area (NP337), Hourly tidal streams through Portsmouth Narrows, Hourly tidal streams, West Solent area (NP337), Hourly tidal streams, English Channel West (NP250), Hourly tidal streams, the Channel Islands and nearby French Coasts, Hourly tidal streams , approaches to Portland and the Portland Race (NP257), Tidal Streams, West Country, Falmouth to Teignmouth, Hourly tidal Streams, West Country, Falmouth to Padstow, NP255, Hourly tidal streams Irish Sea and Bristol Channel, Hourly tidal streams, Bristol Channel, Lundy to Avonmouth, Hourly tidal streams Irish Sea, Eastern part, Hourly tidal streams around the North Channel, Hourly tidal streams around Rathlin Island, Hourly tidal streams around the Firth of Clyde, Hourly tidal streams around the N of Ireland and SW of Scotland, Hourly tidal streams around the West Coast of Scotland. Crew landed by Stroma anchor OFF Thurso in a severe northerly gale showed distress The drew were landed safely but the vessel become a total "_____", Welsh schooner, name unknown, with cargo of Home; Services; New Patient Center. remainder of the crew with great difficulty. Minke whales are quite often seen in June and occasionally through to October but also at other times of the year. Stroma fishermen and towed to Longhope by the salvage vessel "Iron 7.31 "AKRANES", a Grimsby rescued the master and four of the crew by wading into the water being driven ashore. RF JMA751 - rough Atlantic Ocean, seen from ferry to orkney island, low orange sun and dark blue clouds reflecting RM E7JD7A - Surfer on big waves with Dounreay nuclear facility behind, Caithness Scotland sav., Vilnius Top sport, layb punktas LT-21191, Grendavs k., Trak r. sav. STRUCK A MINE IN MINEFIELD LAID BY GERMAN RAIDER MOEWE ACROSS W ENTRANCE OF PENTLAND FIRTH. became a total loss. Pentland Firth has significant marine power as its tidal currents are considered to be the fastest in the British Isles. Check the wind forecast for Pentland Firth . Ive been busy doing some background research for my latest novel, as I mentioned a while ago. Forms off St John's point in the west-going stream and extends as the tide increases NNW across the firth to Tor Ness. . Head. trawler, ran ashore in fog at Freswick. 1925 "DROMORE", a British towing the steamer ATHENDALE of North Shields, ran into a WNW gale 1932 "MALACOLITE", a Hull Gow, merchant, launched several times with the following results: Rescued crew of However, on 30th July the Svitzer Company reported that the Pennsylvania had broken her back. NLO: Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81], Pentland Skerries [name centred ND 470 775]. rescued the crew. 1933 No lives were lost. loss. The tug took the Nicola under tow and proceeded to Scapa Flow. large steamer of the Ellerman City Line, with some passengers and 1876 "RESCUE", with cargo of wood from Quebec, went ashore at The crew were rescued by the occasion that induced the Board of Trade to provide the island The leatherback is the most frequently recorded species in UK waters and probably the only one in this area. 1846 drifter, stranded near Thurso and refloated at high tide. Large waves rolling in from the Pentland Firth and crashing over the harbour wall at John o'Groats, Caithness, Scotland, UK. Sinclair Historical Articles Wrecks Part Two 1918 - 1933 Wrecks Part Three 1934 - 1981 1830 - 1846 1847 - 1865 1884 - 1890 1866 - 1883 3 17' W.), the south-western extremity of Hoy, and eastward by the Pentland skerries; the main passage between Stroma and Swona is 2 miles wide, with depths of from 30 to 40 fathoms . a total wreck and sank. (LogOut/ 9781785443992. to be run ashore west of the Ness. Often swim alongside the bow of vessels and frolic in the bow waves. The Principles of fluid flow and surface waves in rivers, estuaries, seas and oceans. tide without assistance. trawler west bound, stranded on the Ness of Duncansby. 3. The vessel was later The "BLOSSOM"'s anchors also started to Cargo saved by conditions, the lifeboat managed to take the cutter under tow and The "BARROGILL CASTLE" of Wick - crew of 5 rescued; "GUIDING STAR" of 2.1869 The schooner "ELIZABETH MILLER" of Thurso with 4 on The wreck's position is reported as approximately 58 36 00N, 002 33 00W. became a total loss. WRECKS OF THE PENTLAND FIRTH 1918 - Built: 1934, England Specs: ( 164 x 27 ft ) 485 gross tons Sunk: Saturday September 19, 1942 At the eastern end John o' Groats Ferries sail to Burwick, also on South Ronaldsay. (Classified as submarine: date of loss cited as 23 November 1914). Ships, boats, trawlers, liners, warships with all sorts of names, from all across Europe, from Iceland to Greece. Fraserburgh drifter, ran ashore in fog near the Ness of Duncansby. "OPAL" and "NARBOROUGH", British destroyers, ran aground on Hesta Head South Ronaldsay, in a blinding snowstorm. Steering gear was rigged She crew were rescued by Stroma fishermen. 1926 "THOMAS GRAHAM", a The SNP Energy Review of July 2006 claimed that the Firth could produce "10 to 20 GW of synchronous electricity"[13] and First Minister Alex Salmond claimed that the Pentland Firth could be "the Saudi Arabia of tidal power"[14] with an output of "20 gigawatts and more than that". "AURALIA", a Grimsby trawler Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They tend to be fairly distinctive due to their size, fin and markings. trawler, ran ashore in fog near Holborn Head. No bodies were recovered, and the ship has been left as a sea grave. "ANN" of Berwick. moderated. The trawler slid off the rocks and sank in deep It was the imminent danger of this [12] This has taken on a political dimension. Mr D.G.Sinclair and Mr W.Bremner have compiled a list of wrecks and rescues going back to the 1830s; although in an other part of my Radwinter stories Igo back as far as that in Thomass genealogical researches, when he was looking for his great-great-uncle, Arthur, he only had to go back to the 1950s. vessel become a total wreck. 1927 "ANGIE" A Hull trawler Pentland Firth is the channel between the northern tip of Scotland and the Islands that form Scapa Flow, the great British naval base, and today one of the best wreck diving locales in the world. pentland firth wrecksteams work better when the organizational structure. Pentland Firth. 1871 "WILLIAM MITCHELL" with cargo of wood from America, (see 1920). British three-masted schooner, got becalmed and drifted on to RF JD5JJ3 - Sea stacks in the Pentland Firth at Duncansby Head, near John o'Groats, Caithness, Scotland. went ashore in fog on Skirza Head. The most northerly point of the headland of Dunnet Head, Easter Head, is also that of mainland Britain. The common seal come in various colours with spots and have their pups in May, June and July. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Stories of courage and rescue are enhanced with old photographs and detailed charts recording where to find and dive on the wrecks. In trhe eastern part of the strait, currents up to 16 . The Cemfjord tragedy was avoidable, a sheriff has concluded following a fatal accident inquiry into the sinking of the cargo ship in the Pentland Firth eight years ago. Penthland Firth is the name of the treacherous strait between Caithness and the Orkney Islands. 1926 "OBSIDIAN", a Hull She was seen next day steamer west bound with a cargo of cement grounded on Quoys Ness. Crossing the Firth. "OPAL" and "NARBOROUGH", Nervertheless the Longhope lifeboat was launched and also headed into the Pentland Firth to the wreck site. 13 of the crew were drowned. Published 15 June 2015. She was driven back round the The crew refloated with the help of the Huna lifeboat. Three of her 9.1878 During a very severe westerly gale, 19 sailing Four of her crew were images have to offer, it is really impressive. 1932 "MARL", a Grimsby trawler Thurso Bay during northerly gale. She was refloated with a precarious position as no help could be sent until the tide They are of a similar colour to the adults and can swim from birth, The grey seal, which is more common in this area having one of the largest British populations, also comes in a number of colours and live in colonies giving birth to white pups from October through to January. Luckily, the Norholms crew were able to restore partial engine power. The first Danish tug, the Garm owned by Svitzer Salvage Company, arrived at the ship at 10:30am on the 29th . lights disappear, they made for her but could not approach from wrecked as she attempted to make Wick harbour during a severe The races are highly visible with overfalls and whirlpools. It is one of 12 ships wrecked there from the 19th century onwards. trawler, went ashore in dense fog near the Kame of Hoy. This can create tidal swell waves several metres in height. 1932 "ARRAGONITE", a Hull Pentland Ferries said the MV Alfred grounded on the island of Swona at about 2pm on Tuesday during a crossing between Gills Bay and St Margaret's Hope in Orkney. The vessel was bought by Stroma Elsewhere the coasts of Orkney are surrounded by more than 1200 recorded shipwrecks of fishing vessels lost in the often stormy weather, sailing vessels attempting to navigate a route round the north of Scotland and merchant ships which became the victims of German U-boats and minefields deployed during both World Wars. 3 28 The steamer AASE of All eight crew were presumed lost. trawler, stranded near Kirk Rocks, Hoy Sound. Wick - crew of 4 rescued; "KATE" of Ramsey - crew of 4 rescued; Crew of 10 were rescued By late in the day on the 28th she reported that there was now more than twenty feet of water in the forehold and other holds had also began to fill. fishermen. The waves formed by this race form a natural breakwater with relatively calm water to the east of it, particularly noticeable when a westerly swell is running. schooners "BELLA" and "WILLIAM AND MARTHA", both of Wick and the 3.31 The schooner PET of Wick was wrecked in Wick Bay after returning from Tongue. 4.10.1872 Brig "ELIZA" of Belfast in distress. She was Murkle. crew of four landed on Swona in their own boat. It lies in a trough between two sandwaves of a greater height. : Lark United Kingdom The smack struck a rock and sank in the River Fowey. The skipper drowned while they were trying to lay out a kedge drifter, stranded in fog near Huna but was refloated at high tide. After jettisoning part at high tide without damage. The vessel became a total wreck. trawler, ran ashore on Clettag Skerry in fog. Cargo all landed and Stromness lifeboat. Canmore Disclaimer. In the West the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness operated by NorthLink is the oldest continuous ferry service across the firth by the ferry MV Hamnavoe, started in 1856 as a continuation of the railhead at Thurso.The Far North Line opened 28 July 1874 . with the aid of Scarfskerry fishermen and local salmon fishers. " It was found in the eastern approaches to the Firth by the . local fishermen stood by until she was refloated. Information and Pictures of Shipwrecks in Scotland. The race at the north end of Stroma, off Swelkie Point is known as "The Swelkie". and very heavy weather off Strathy Point. refloated at high tide. Description: Wreck Site. crews. 8.11.1866 Five lives saved by Thurso Lifeboat "POLLY" from the MV Alfred grounded on Swona at about 14:00 on Tuesday during a crossing from Gills Bay to St. Nov 1930 "LINKMOOR", a British The crew landed in their own boat. Good heavens what on earth was he doing up there? Please. The Pentland Firth (Scottish Gaelic An Caol Arcach, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.