The Team
Buchan Divers are a small group dedicated to the location, identification, exploration and research of the sunken wreck heritage off the North East of Scotland. Our focus area is mainly the Buchan coast which, technically stretches from St Combs, just north of Rattray Head to Whinnyfold near Cruden Bay in the south - however our wreck searches generally range from north of Fraserburgh to Aberdeen.
Roger Mathison
Rog is our skipper, ex-diver and chief wreck researcher. He has an enormous database of local wrecks and good contacts with other local historians and researchers and has been key in identifying the majority of the wrecks listed in these pages. Rog is an engineer by trade and like Mike, can build or fix anything. His knowledge of the boat, engine and electronics keeps us going and safe.
Mike Rosie
MikeR is a solid and reliable diver who started diving with the old Peterhead BSAC club in the 80's. He is an experienced mechanic and together with Rog, can build or fix anything and everything. He has devised our efficient shotting and shot recovery technique and our fast deploying drifting deco stop. He has built our gas mixing station from components recovered from a skip and he's a very reliable diver to have around.
Mike Wilcox
MikeW is an experienced diver and instructor. He is also our workhorse with strength and stamina to shift heavy objects on the bottom, such as our 100lb shot weight when it gets stuck. He is solid and reliable diver, very handy to have in any situation. He's very dedicated and never lets his seasickness affliction get in the way of having fun. He makes damn fine sandwiches too.
Jim Burke
Jim is an experienced diver and amateur wreck researcher, he has been diving since 1983. He met MikeR in 1998 on a Trimix training course and they have been diving together ever since. A keen wreck diver and obsessive organiser, he has planned and organised most of our searches. He has dived wrecks in the Red Sea, Truk Lagoon and on the atomic wrecks of Bikini Atoll.
Tony Ray
Tony is our video recorder and producer. We need a lot of specialist equipment to dive the wrecks and it is heavy and cumbersome, especially when carrying a video camera. Tony has taken many of the videos on the site and has edited them to show the best bits.
Gordon Morrison
Gordon is an ex-fisherman and local angling boat skipper. He contacted us about the U-1206 while we were still searching for her. He was able to give us some great information on the local wrecks which he fished with lines back in the 70's and 80's. He has an excellent "blue book" of transits and Decca coordinates and comes out on the boat with us to support and hear or stories of the wrecks he knows so well but has never seen. With his help we found the SS Atland, SS Taylor, HMS Flotta, HMT Ormonde and many other of our southern wrecks. He also supplied accurate marks for a wreck which turned out to be the U-1206, but it was so far out from the reported loss position that we discounted it for 7 years!
Naomi Watson
Naomi is the latest member of the team, a young diver with experience that outstrips her age, she is our photographer and occasional wreck researcher. She alternates between a Canon 550d and a Gopro as required - a marine boiler enthusiast, Naomi's never happier than when poking around an engine room or attempting to identify interesting machinery.