Portree RNLI features in national Spring fundraising appeal

The Secure Our Moorings Appeal 2026, which highlights the lifeboats that rely on moorings while berthed, is using Portree RNLI as the lead station for the campaign.

Households across the country will receive letters that feature the Portree RNLI lifeboat, Stanley Watson Barker, in photos at her swing mooring in Portree bay, alongside the words of Portree RNLI volunteer Coxswain Ethan Harris.

Ethan said:

‘As a volunteer at Portree RNLI, I know how important it is to have a safe and secure mooring for the lifeboat to berth at. The mooring can often come under strain, particularly during periods of adverse weather when the bay in Portree can get quite rough, so it’s vital that it is kept well maintained.

‘While at the mooring, the bright orange lifeboat can be quite picturesque, especially for visitors to Portree, as it sits in the bay with a view out to the Inner Sound behind it. But the Secure Our Moorings Appeal 2026 highlights the vital, often hidden infrastructure that allows us to keep a lifeboat here.

‘As a charity, the RNLI relies on donations from the public to fund the lifesaving service that is done. Please consider donating to help keep the Portree RNLI lifeboat – and many others across the UK and Ireland – secure at their moorings.’

The 2026 appeal is aiming to raise funds to maintain and replace vital mooring equipment—including ropes, anchors, and chains—that keep lifeboats secure and ready for operations.

A £30 donation could help to buy replacement parts for moorings; a £50 donation could help buy the mooring ropes used to secure the lifeboat to the mooring itself; and a £200 donation could help fund a crane needed to hoist the moorings and anchors out of the water for inspection, cleaning and repair.

Portree will receive a new RNLI Shannon class lifeboat this year, which has been named RNLB Peter and Mary (13-59), but the state-of-the-art vessel will also sit at the mooring when berthed in Portree bay.

ENDS

Notes to editors

· All photos in this press release should be credited to RNLI/Robert MacInnes.

· Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station

· Recipients of the Secure Our Moorings Appeal 2026 letters can donate through the enclosed forms. Members of the public can also donate to the appeal here: https://rnli.org/pages/appeals/spring-appeal/cold/donate#your-donation

RNLI media contacts

For further information, please contact:

Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland: 07826 900639 / [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland: 07920 365929 / [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.