Fiona Watson, a Shetland based technical diver writes:
“The Valkyrie, an Inverness registered fishing boat, was heading out of Lerwick as the inner of a pair of trawlers when she inadvertently steamed straight into a cliff face at the South end of Bressay and sank. A salvage attempt was made, but although the vessel was raised and floated just under the surface for a while, she subsequently sank again, this time jammed in a gully at 49m. The first time I dived the Valkyrie was on a perfect (for diving) September afternoon with Kevin Pickering. We weren't sure of the exact position of the wreck, and it's difficult to pick up on a sounder because it's leaning against a rock face. The shot missed, but only by about 30m or so, and we approached the wreck from below, in gin clear water. The Valkyrie is upright and almost completely intact, with just a slight list to starboard, and looks for all the world as if she is sailing out from behind the rock face. The split in her bow is only about 1m in length and perhaps 30cm wide. Some of the lifting bags used in the salvage attempt are still strapped in place.
The winches on deck still have ropes wound onto them, and the buoys are semi-inflated in place on their hooks ready for deployment. The nets are still on board and float over much of the stern, giving the impression of a rather worn set of net curtains.
After a leisurely 25 minute look around the wreck, it was time to head back up the shot, and spend the deco time wishing that Pickering had spent rather less time talking about the killer whales sighted in the bay a week earlier.”
