Scotland · Scapa Flow · Orkney · Shetland
A floating base, or a warm room in Stromness?
Scotland’s dive trips can look similar in a search result and feel quite different at the end of the day. A liveaboard keeps your bunk close to the dive deck. A boat-and-lodge package gives you a shore base, local dinners and room to spread out. Both can put the wrecks of Scapa Flow within reach.
Two useful ways to plan the week
Sleep aboardMV Valhalla
Six twin-bunk cabins, a heated interior and a diver lift make this a practical floating base. The operator markets Scapa Flow, Orkney and Shetland weeks; the actual region depends on the departure.
Valhalla programmes and enquiries
Photo: MV Valhalla operator.
Scapa boat + shore lodgeMV Huskyan & Number 15
The regular Scapa Flow package pairs five days of diving with six nights at Divers Lodge in Stromness. Dive gear stays aboard while you return to a kitchen, drying facilities and the town each evening.
Photo: Marjo Tynkkynen / Huskyan.
Valhalla suits divers who want the shared rhythm of life aboard and whose preferred departure visits their chosen region. Huskyan’s regular Scapa package suits a group that enjoys diving together but wants evenings on land. Huskyan also describes liveaboard accommodation for expeditions farther afield; that does not turn its standard Stromness package into an overnight cruise.
Valhalla’s published schedule lists Shetland weeks in August 2027. The availability page carries an older update date, so the listed programme is evidence of a marketed trip, not confirmation that a berth remains available.
Where the trips start
Stromness is the base for the Scapa Flow options described here; Lerwick is the joining port for Valhalla’s Shetland programme. These are port-area locations, not dive entry points. They do not form a single cruise route: the booked programme and conditions determine where the vessel goes.
- Scapa Flow / Stromness: Orkney wreck-diving base; allow for island transport and weather disruption.
- Shetland / Lerwick: a separate, more northerly programme; book travel for the specific joining port.
Scapa Flow includes the German fleet wrecks; individual dive choices depend on certification, recent experience, depth and the skipper’s plan. No fixed sequence of wreck visits is promised.
Detailed dive-site locations
These published reference positions help compare dive locations with your travel base. They are not verified entry points, moorings or an underwater navigation guide. Site access and the day’s dive plan must be agreed with a local operator.
A Scapa Flow cruiser on a slope, with the bow around 25 m and the stern around 38 m. The map locates the wreck, not a shot line or underwater route. Site description and position.
A Scapa Flow cruiser lying on its starboard side, with parts of the wreck around 22 m and seabed around 36 m. Depth and cold-water preparation should match the planned dive. Site description and position.
Positions checked against the linked descriptions on 5 November 2026; map imagery and local conditions can change.
What belongs in the budget?
Valhalla prices need a dated quotation for the region, berth, occupancy and departure. There is no verified like-for-like public fare here, so a cheapest-boat ranking would be misleading.
Dive Rutland advertises its Huskyan trip for 1–7 August 2027 at £1,500 per person by card or £1,425 by BACS. It includes six nights at Number 15 and five diving days; this is one organiser’s trip, not a general annual Huskyan tariff or a live availability promise.
For that example, travel, food, Nitrox or helium where required, personal equipment and insurance are additional budget items. The final inclusions and your own kit list determine the rental budget. The standard Huskyan package includes air fills and weights; divers supply their own weight belt. Specialist gas arrangements need advance discussion.
Source: Dive Rutland’s dated 2027 trip. A complete holiday cost also includes island connections, accommodation around embarkation if needed and cancellation cover suitable for the trip.
Experience, season and comfort
This is cold-water diving, with drysuit comfort and recent experience more useful than a long-forgotten certification card. Valhalla asks Scapa divers to be comfortable around 35 metres and describes 35–40 metres for Shetland. Its FAQ describes summer water around 14°C. Recent logbook details and the intended equipment configuration help the operator assess suitability before a booking.
Published programmes include spring-to-autumn Scapa weeks and summer Shetland trips. Wind, sea state and the chosen wrecks still shape the week. A diver lift helps with boarding; it does not remove the need to handle your equipment or make a trip accessible for every mobility need.
Travelling with someone who does not dive
Stromness can be a pleasant shared base when one person heads out diving and the other prefers Orkney’s history, walks and cafés. Lodge occupancy and companion pricing are matters for the individual quotation. We have not verified a non-diver fare or guaranteed companion place aboard either vessel; a diving berth should not be treated as a sightseeing ticket. For a liveaboard, the companion’s experience depends on shore access and what is available while divers are underwater.
Valhalla describes freshly prepared onboard meals. Its posted 2024/25 terms treat catering beyond breakfast as extra and provide for fuel supplements. Because those terms carry an older year, the current quotation needs to confirm the applicable inclusions and cancellation conditions.
Questions before booking
Is every Scapa Flow boat a liveaboard?
No. Some trips include sleeping aboard, while others use a day boat with shore accommodation. Huskyan’s regular Scapa package uses Number 15 Divers Lodge; Valhalla has onboard cabins.
Does Valhalla visit both Orkney and Shetland in one week?
Not necessarily: the dated regional programme defines the joining and leaving ports. Stromness and Lerwick are separate bases.
Can a newly certified diver join?
The operator needs the diver’s recent experience and certifications to assess suitability. The deeper wrecks and cold water require appropriate training and comfort; a recreational qualification alone does not establish suitability.
What is the cheapest option?
There is no matched current quotation for both options. Dates, nights, diving days, occupancy, meals, gases and transport to the correct island all affect the result.
Can non-divers come?
Companion acceptance and fares need confirmation. A shore-based stay allows more independent activities, but accommodation capacity and pricing still depend on the booking.
Are meals included?
Valhalla’s catering terms belong in the final quote. Number 15 has a self-catering kitchen, and the cited Dive Rutland package excludes food. Onboard refreshments are not equivalent to full board.
The organiser’s dated August 2027 trip requires a 40 m deep-diving qualification. Its quoted fare may be affected by a fuel or electricity supplement, and cancellation can leave the full fare payable unless a replacement is accepted. These are terms of that particular organised trip, not a universal Scottish diving rule.
Sources and review date
Reviewed 9 November 2026 against Valhalla specifications, Valhalla trip FAQ, Huskyan package and Divers Lodge details. Photos selected November 2026 from the operators’ websites; capture dates were not supplied. Departure spaces and final quotations require operator confirmation.