Mary: Scrabster Sands, Thurso Bay, Pentland Firth

ND16NW 8039 c. 101 698

N58 36.4 W3 32.8

NLO: Scrabster [name: ND 102 702]

Thurso Bay [name centred ND 115 699]

Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81].

Possibly on map sheet ND17SW.

Thurso, 11th Jan. 'The MARY, McKenzie, from Newcastle to Dublin, was driven on shore on Scrabster Sands yesterday morning during a heavy gale at N, and is a complete wreck. The crew with difficulty saved.'

Source: The Marine List, LL, No. 6500, London, Tuesday January 19 1830.

NMRS, MS/829/71 (no. 6680).

(Classified as brig, with cargo of coal: date of loss cited as 10 January 1830). Mary: this vessel was wrecked on the sands at Scrabster. Capt. McKenzie.

Registration: Stornoway. Built 1826. 112 tons burthern. Length: 20m. Beam: 4m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 36.5 W3 33.0).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Scrabster Sands are presumably the exposed sands that are indicated on the 1999 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, around ND 101 698 and to the S of Scrabster Harbour (ND17SW 5.00), which is at ND 102 703.

The classification and cargo cited by I G Whittaker (1998) remain unverified, but are accepted.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 16 May 2005.

MARY, McKenzie, from Newcastle to Dublin, was wrecked on Scrabster Sands near Thurso, crew saved, 10 January 1830.

Source: Newcastle Chronicle, 23 January 1830.

Information from Serena Cant (NMRC, Swindon), 19 May 2005.