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A toast to the public at Portree RNLI Burns Night

Lifeboats News Release

There was a toast to the public in Portree on Saturday night as the local lifeboat fundraising team hosted their annual Burns Supper.

The Burns Supper gets underway!

RNLI/Iain Beaton

Portree RNLI Burns Supper
With tartan galore, a haggis feast, and plenty of music and Burns-themed entertainment, a total of £8000 was raised in aid of Portree RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday 25 January.

Well known BBC Radio nan Gàidheal broadcaster Derek ‘Pluto’ Murray was MC for the evening and the delighted audience were treated to Highland Dancing, live music, food provided by the Royal Hotel in Portree, and the essential Burns speeches such as Address to the Haggis and Tom o’ Shanter, which was delivered by our volunteer crew member Adam MacDonald.

Iain Beaton, volunteer crew member and lifeboat press officer at Portree RNLI and one of the organisers of the annual Burns supper, said:

'We had an amazing celebration of the life and times of our national bard on Saturday night. There was plenty of laughs, with some fantastic speakers, great musicians, brilliant dancers and a stunning meal thanks to the outstanding team at The Royal Hotel. A huge thank you to The Isle of Skye Estate Agency and Ferrymill Motors for their sponsorship once again.

'We must also thank Inverlussa Marine Services, MOWI, Bakkafrost, Highland Motors, F Macleod Funeral Directors (Skye), Uisge Lusach Gaelic Gins, Talisker distillery, and Angus C MacFarlane for their kind donations and support which is invaluable to us.

'It was great to see a full house again. We had visitors from Australia, America and Switzerland who all had a wonderful time. We will be back in 2026 on January 24 so get it in your diaries!'

The RNLI is a charity that relies on donations to provide the lifesaving service that it does. Our volunteer crew members are on call and ready to respond to calls for help 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

All money raised for the RNLI helps our lifeboat crews to save lives quickly, safely and effectively. There are over 5,700 volunteer crew members and over 4,000 volunteer shore crew at 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland. They all rely on training, kit, rescue equipment, lifeboats and lifeboat stations to save lives at sea.

ENDS

Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts

For further information, please contact:

Robert MacInnes, Trainee Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421 829 / [email protected]

Natasha Rushby, 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 or [email protected]

The haggis arrives!

RNLI/Iain Beaton

The haggis arrives!
The haggis arrives!

RNLI/Iain Beaton

The haggis arrives!
Crew member Adam MacDonald delivers Tom o' Shanter.

RNLI/Iain Beaton

Crew member Adam MacDonald delivers Tom o' Shanter.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.