Underwater archaeology: Digging gold cufflinks from the watery depths

Scotland's west coast - with its islands and inlets - has hidden secrets. Beneath the crashing waves lie shipwrecks, where final voyages ended on jagged rocks. More than 40 years ago, Colin Martin - a pioneer of underwater archaeology - started to look for these lost vessels.

Now, after numerous expeditions and discoveries, he has given his collection of images to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Here, with Colin, explore some of the wrecks he tracked down - and see what he found hidden there.

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All images subject to copyright. Most images courtesy Colin Martin/RCAHMS. Additional material courtesy Alamy, Getty Images and Google Maps.

Additional audio from KPM Music and BBC archives. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 20 March 2014.

Related:

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS)

BBC History - Colin Martin's introduction to marine archaeology

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