Discovery of the wreck of the SS Tobol off the coast of Scotland

An ancient shipwreck, suspected to be the SS Tobol from World War I, has been found off Scotland's northeast coast, uncovering a 107-year-old marine enigma. It was revealed during surveys for the upcoming MarramWind offshore wind farm.

Detecting the Shipwreck

The SS Tobol, a merchant vessel, was among several shipwrecks detected through geophysical and environmental surveys for the impending offshore wind farm, MarramWind. The partnership of ScottishPower and Shell in developing the wind farm led to the discovery of the wreck, aided by data collected from sonar scans.

The surveys conducted for the planned floating wind farm unveiled the probable location of the SS Tobol, which sank after being torpedoed in 1917. The Merchant vessel, renowned for its "turret deck" design commonly used for steam cargo ships, was of Russian origin.

The discovery of the wreck has provided answers to a century-old mystery, as the Tobol had been missing for over 100 years. Toby Gane, a marine and coastal cultural heritage and archaeology lead for WSP, expressed amazement at finally pinpointing the likely demise of the SS Tobol after more than a century.

The TBobl, built in Sunderland at the start of the 1900s, was operated by a steamer company until 1904 when a Russian warship seized it. The Russians subsequently renamed the ship from SS Cheltenham to SS Tobol. This information adds to the historical significance of the discovery.