Christmas on call for Portree RNLI volunteers

Portree RNLI, based in the capital of the island, will remain available for service over Christmas and Hogmanay. This involves the volunteer crew always carrying their pagers, even during Christmas dinner or festive activities.

Portree lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker has launched 34 times in 2025 so far, with shouts ranging from island medical evacuations to vessels in distress.

It’s been a year in which volunteer Coxswain Hamish Corrigall stepped down from RNLI duties after 35 years of active service. Hamish had been on the crew since a lifeboat was first stationed in Portree.

In October, Iain Beaton, who first joined Portree RNLI in 2019, passed his necessary assessments to become a volunteer Coxswain at the station.

The fundraising team celebrated a hugely successful annual Open Day, which attracted thousands of people to the pier and raised over £15,000. There was further fundraising support from the local community, including sponsored skydives, which helped to raise even more money for the lifesaving charity.

There has been plenty of visitors to Portree RNLI too including from famous comedian Stuart Mitchell, from local school pupils, and from many, many supporters of the charity.

The biggest news of all is that we will soon be saying goodbye to our long serving Trent class RNLI lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker, with a new state-of-the-art Shannon class vessel due to take up service in spring 2026. Our Stan will remain on station until the handover period is completed, so there will be plenty of opportunity to see her for a final time.

Stuart Nicolson, Coxswain at Portree RNLI, said:

‘As we approach the festive holidays, it’s important to remind members of the public that we continue to be ready to respond to requests by HM Coastguard to launch. Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, who carry the pagers and remain on call, we can provide our lifesaving service 365 days of the year. In the event of an emergency in the water or on the coasts, the public should dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, no matter the time of year.

‘I would also like to extend my thanks to the crew for all their efforts in what has been another busy year with plenty of training and call outs.

‘2026 will be an exciting time for the station, with a new Shannon class lifeboat due to arrive in the spring, and a new group of crew members continuing with their RNLI training.’

Douglas MacDougall, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portree RNLI, said:

'I hope the crew and their families have a wonderful time together over the festive period. The support and understanding provided by family members is hugely appreciated throughout the year and even more so during Christmas. We're still on call so it's really business as usual like our other blue light services and we pass on season’s greetings to them as well.’

The RNLI is the charity that has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years.

There are over 5,700 volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew members at 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, with a further 4,000 volunteer shore crew members. Our volunteers are on call and ready to respond to calls for help 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year.

ENDS

Notes to editors

· Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991 and operates a Trent class all-weather lifeboat – Stanley Watson Barker. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station

· The 2040 Lifeboat Fleet Strategy was published on Thursday 2 October. As part of this, Portree will receive a new Shannon class lifeboat in 2026. The full report and summary is available here: (https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/october/02/rnli-evolving-to-meet-lifesaving-demand#:~:text=Our%202040%20Lifeboat%20Fleet%20Strategy,information%20to%20make%20these%20decisions.&text='We%20need%20to%20have%20confidence,changing%20nature%20of%20lifesaving%20demand).

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

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.