New lifeboat in 2026 for Portree RNLI

The announcement of the fleet change, which comes as the lifesaving charity enters its third decade of service, has been warmly welcomed by the volunteers, crew and fundraisers based at Portree RNLI.

The current Trent class lifeboat – Stanley Watson Barker – first arrived at the station in June 1996, taking over from a Waveney-class lifeboat, Ralph and Joy Swann, which had been based at Portree since 1991.

After almost three decades of active service, Stanley Watson Barker will be replaced by a Shannon class lifeboat next year, with the name and identification number still to be announced.

The Shannon class is the smallest and lightest form of all-weather lifeboat, being designed and built entirely in-house by the RNLI. With a top speed of 25 knots – matching the speed of current lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker - it is propelled by water jets rather than propellors which offers an increased level of manoeuvrability. It has a uniquely designed hull to improve handling and efficiency when at sea, even in rough weather, including only needing 80% of its engine power to reach top speed. The Shannon class also has self-righting capabilities.

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

‘We are all very excited that a Shannon class lifeboat has been allocated to Portree in 2026, bringing a new chapter for lifesaving at the station. The Shannon is now well established in the RNLI fleet and offers excellent manoeuvrability and speed with its jet propulsion system.

‘This transition will involve a considerable amount of training at the RNLI Headquarters at Poole and at home until we are deemed 'ready for service' with the new lifeboat.

‘Of course, this news is also tinged with a degree of sadness as we'll be bidding farewell to our much-loved Trent class lifeboat, Stanley Watson Barker which, by the time of departure, will have served the seafaring and coastal communities in this area exceptionally well over 3 decades.

'It's also appropriate, at this time, to again thank fundraisers, our generous local supporters and employers who all do their bit to enable lifeboat launches at Portree.’

Stuart Nicolson, Coxswain at Portree RNLI, said:

‘Our current lifeboat, Stanley Watson Barker, has served us extremely well and will always hold a special place at Portree RNLI, particularly for those of us who have served onboard alongside family members or who have grown up with ‘Stan’ being a part of life on Skye.

‘However, we are very much looking forward to welcoming a new lifeboat to Portree next year, including the brilliant opportunities of further world-class training to enable us to continue to operating the service that we do.

‘The lifeboat itself may be changing, but the lifesaving work of the RNLI charity will continue.’

The RNLI has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years. It relies on donations and support from the public to operate the lifesaving service that it does.

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 currently 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 (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). Through the strategy, the specific needs and capabilities required from our all-weather lifeboats have been established. This has led to the development and agreement of what the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats are there to do, which is to:

· Respond to all-weather lifeboat demand based on risk, location, and seagoing capabilities that are outside the capabilities of an inshore lifeboat

· Provide cover to flank station inshore lifeboats

· Respond to major incidents (involving vessels over 30NM) where towing may be required

· Provide lifesaving effect in relation to offshore risk (25 to 75NM).

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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