Unidentified Supermarine Sea Otter, landed at sea off Colonsay and was then driven ashore and destroyed on Ardskenish Beach.  

I guess this is where visiting aircraft wrecks and ship wrecks overlaps, as the aircraft was an amphibian and the wreck lies in the inter-tidal range, though it does not entirely dry at low tide.

This aircraft has been known about for a number of years, however it has so far defeated attempts to positively identify the aircraft involved. All that is known about it is the type, this has been confirmed by part numbers and inspection stamps on the remaining pieces. The inspection stamps consist of a 2 digit number and SR in a circle, this denotes Saunders Roe, the company which built all of the Sea Otters under contract for Supermarine / Vickers Armstrong. Part numbers which have been found begin with 309, the type prefix for the Sea Otter, e.g. 30908/1049.

It has been reported locally that there were two crew on the aircraft at the time and both were rescued.

The search for documentary evidence has proven fruitless so far, the Sea Otter was operated by both the RAF and Royal Navy during WWII and for a few years after. There are no recorded accidents similar to this one in the Operations Record Books of the RAF units which flew the aircraft in the region and Royal Navy records appear scarce for aircraft type. There are also no recorded call outs to Colonsay for the two locally stationed RAF High Speed Launches, these being at Oban and Bowmore. The Oban based HSL did call at Colonsay once to pick up two Naval personnel, but closer examination of the records showed that it had taken them to the island a few days earlier.

The largest remaining piece is this substantial strut which lies in a very large rock pool, there are other pieces in the pool which is deeper than it looks.

Two other items in the pool are these algae covered stubs of propellers.

Hidden in the rocks nearby, and covered by seaweed, are a number of aluminium and stainless steel pieces. This is a 3 foot section of corrugated aluminium.

Another piece of aluminium is this section which appears to be from one of the inter-wing struts.

Wedged in between the rocks are the remains of two cylinders from the aircraft's engine.

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