A royal ferry believed to have sunk with Charles I’s baggage and treasure nearly 400 years ago may finally have been located in the Firth of Forth. Burntisland Heritage Trust says underwater surveys, physical exploration, and a recovered timber sample have produced a “promising” wreck site about a mile (1.5 kilometers) from Burntisland. The ship’s identity - and the fate of its reported silver and gold - still await scientific confirmation.
A Royal Ferry Lost in a Storm
On 10 July 1633, the ferry known as the Blessing of Burntisland was travelling from Burntisland to Leith during Charles I’s Scottish coronation tour when rough weather struck. The king’s baggage was aboard the ferry, according to the Burntisland Heritage Trust’s original account of the search. Another vessel carried Charles himself, while only two of the 35 people on board are believed to have survived.
The cargo reportedly included royal jewelry, textiles, coins, and precious-metal plate valued at about £100,000 at the time. Later accounts linked it to a gold and silver dinner service associated with Henry VIII. No complete inventory has ever been established.
- Ten Incredible Underwater Discoveries That Have Been Made
- 8 Lost Shipwrecks That Still Hold Promise of Treasure
Ian Archibald and Commander Bob Stewart during an early search aboard HMS Roebuck. (Burntisland Heritage Trust)
A promising target, not a confirmed identification
The latest report by Divernet says the suspected site was identified through subsea ground-penetrating radar, advanced scanning, direct examination, and core sampling. Surveys suggest a buried structure approximately 17 metres long. Divers have worked in strong tides, deep silt, and almost zero visibility.
A trust report says the core samples “strongly point to the wreck being that of the Blessing,” but search leader Ian Archibald used more cautious language. “We may have found the site of a historic wreck, but we have not yet identified it,” he told Divernet, adding that the recovered timber must be carbon-dated before the claim can be tested.
The caution matters because the project has investigated hundreds of seabed anomalies, including an unrelated First World War naval tug and a Second World War aircraft. This is familiar territory in lost shipwreck investigations. As other shipwreck discoveries show, finding a shape beneath sediment is only the beginning of identification.
- $1M Treasure Cache Found in 1715 Spanish Fleet Wreck
- Breakthrough in Hunt for Spanish Shipwreck’s Greatest Treasure in the Caribbean
Portrait of Charles I, painted by Anthony van Dyck around 1637. (Public domain)
Why the treasure story remains uncertain
The phrase “millions in treasure” makes a compelling headline, but it is not a measured valuation of a recovered hoard. The trust gives the cargo’s contemporary estimate as roughly £100,000. Modern figures depend on inflation, rarity, and what survived the sinking.
Diver during the long-running search for the lost ferry. (Burntisland Heritage Trust)
From local legend to maritime archaeology
The search has been unusually persistent. Burntisland Heritage Group took over after an American exploration company withdrew in 1996. It became Burntisland Heritage Trust the following year and secured protected-wreck status in 1999.
The next stage is timber dating and archaeological assessment. If those steps connect the structure to the 1633 ferry, a local legend will become a major piece of Scottish maritime history. If not, the search will continue beneath the Forth.
Top image: Satellite view of the Firth of Forth, the setting of the suspected wreck site. Source: NASA/Public Domain
By Gary Manners
References
Burntisland Heritage Trust. 2026. The Search For King Charles I Baggage Ferry 1970s–1996. Available at: https://www.burntislandheritage.org.uk/Index.asp?MainID=34140
Burntisland Heritage Trust. 2026. The Search for the Lost Ferry – Project Timeline. Available at: https://www.burntisland.net/shipwreck/timeline.htm
Weinman, S. 2026. Has Charles I’s Lost Treasure Wreck Finally Been Found? Available at: https://divernet.com/scuba-news/wrecks/has-charles-is-lost-treasure-wreck-finally-been-found/
