Haven't heard much about the diver the other week, to say Scapa is a "dangerous dive site" would be unfair.
Long(ish) answer*:
It is a site which is successfully dived hundreds, probably thousands of times a year. By its very popularity there is an increased risk of someone having an accident, add to that, it is a temperate site, with typically variable weather and a site where the distractions (fascinating wrecks and wildlife) can be a contributory factor in a diver not paying as much attention to the mechanics of the dive as they otherwise might.
You then have to add to the equation the fact that most divers will be there for a week so will squeeze in as many dives as they can to make the most of the trip/get their money's worth, (repetitive dives can increase the risk of DCI (DeCompression Illness, or to the tabloid readers "the bends")
Most of the wrecks are at a depth where the bottom is in the region of 40 metres, and, many of them being large battleships and similar they tended to turn turtle on sinking (due to the weight of their armour/upperworks) so there is a temptation/reason to make a large number of relatively deep, relatively long dives.
All the above adds up to a larger than usual risk of a DCI incident if your planning is less than perfect or if you are unlucky/tired/dehydrated etc etc.
Another factor is that in the 30 to 40 metre range a decompression obligation can rack up very quickly and nitrogen narcosis can aid you in not noticing...
So... if your planning and dive discipline is poor then yes it's potentially more dangerous that an average weekend dive, but approached with the appropriate training and attitude, no not especially dangerous, with the caveat that *every* dive is a calculated risk! (They don't shout about that in the PADI Open Water ;-))
Short answer:
No, not really but if you're stupid/careless/unprepared it can bite. Oh and biking is probably more dangerous
*Buy me a beer and ask as many questions as you want for the really comprehensive answer!
