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Strava walk documents lifeboat launch for Portree RNLI volunteer
An RNLI volunteer on the Isle of Skye had to abandon an evening walk to attend a lifeboat launch this week, but left his Strava running to document it!
Iain Beaton, a volunteer Coxswain and crew member at Portree RNLI, was midway through a walk around the village when his pager sounded.
As RNLI volunteers, all crew members carry pagers and are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It means that when the pagers sound, they must drop everything and travel to the lifeboat station.
In Iain’s case, this meant changing from walking, to running to the station, and then reaching a top speed of almost 30 miles an hour when onboard the lifeboat!
Talking about the abrupt end to his evening walk, Iain said:
‘I often use the fitness tracking app Strava to document my evening walks around Portree.
‘When I had to divert to the lifeboat station, my thoughts immediately turned to the pager and lifeboat tasking, and not on remembering to turn off my Strava!
‘When I looked at it later on, I realised I had left it running and had managed to clock up a distance of 13 miles and a top speed of 30 miles per hour in a 1.5 hour period!’
Portree lifeboat Peter and Mary 13-59 was requested to launch by HM Coastguard at 8pm on Sunday 2 August 2026 following a report by a member of the public, who called 999 after spotting two paddleboarders who appeared to be in distress in the Loch Gairloch area.
The state-of-the-art Shannon class lifeboat, which officially entered service as Portree lifeboat in June 2026, can sail at a top speed of 25 knots, or almost 30 miles an hour, which Iain’s Strava app picked up on.
There was a positive outcome to the launch, with the two paddleboarders making it safely back to shore.
It’s a reminder that our dedicated volunteers really do have to drop everything and head to the lifeboat station when the pager sounds. For Iain, he’s back to a steadier pace of walking around Portree – until the pager sounds once again!
For over two hundred years, lifeboat volunteers and crew members have been launching in response to calls for help. As a charity, the RNLI relies on donations to help maintain the lifesaving service that it provides.
ENDS
Notes to editors
· All photos and videos in this press release should be credited to RNLI/Robert MacInnes apart from the photo of the Strava app which should be credited to Iain Beaton.
· Portree lifeboat Peter and Mary 13-59 officially took over the Portree service on 1 June 2026. The £2.78M Shannon class vessel is powered by water jets rather than conventional propellors, making it highly manoeuvrable and efficient. Read more here: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2026/june/01/new-278m-portree-rnli-lifeboat-officially-enters-service
· 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
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.