The 1152 grt British steamship Prestonian was built by the Ailsa S.B.Co. in 1901, and was wrecked just to the west of Quarry Head, two miles west of Rosehearty, while carrying a cargo of flax , hemp, skins and timber from Archangel to Dundee.

The Prestonian is a very popular site for both visiting and local divers - the wreck lies in the bay at the west side of Quarry Head at 57° 40.864’N 02° 09.897’W in 12-18 metres of water, but the top of the boiler is only 6 metres below the surface. The bow section lies close under the cliffs with the stern pointing NW and gradually deepening. Most of the wreckage is on a rocky seabed close under the cliffs, but the stern stretches out on to sand and shingle. Portholes, brass valves and fittings have been recovered. The boilers, propshaft, engine, hull, rudder, steel propeller, etc. remain. Marine life on and around the wreck is both varied and abundant - divers are often followed by tame wrasse, no doubt hoping for a free meal when the diver breaks open a sea-urchin to feed them.

There are no currents and she lies in a sheltered site only 10 to 15 metres off the shore, but only access is by boat - launch at Rosehearty. In summer months the boilers may be marked by a small float.

Any information or stories about shipwrecks in the Rosehearty area would be greatly appreciated - please contact the source of these pages, Roger Mathison.