Over £25,000 raised at Portree RNLI Open Day

The annual Portree RNLI Open Day, which attracts locals and visitors from all over the world, was held this year on Saturday 15 August.

A total of £25,755.50 was raised for the RNLI during the event, which included a demonstration by Portree lifeboat Peter and Mary, performances by the Isle of Skye Pipe Band; merchandise, silent auction and fundraising stalls by the Portree RNLI fundraising team; and displays by colleagues from other emergency services.

The total is expected to continue to grow with further donations coming in following the event.

It was also an opportunity for the local community to say farewell to the retiring Trent class RNLI lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker, which has been based at Portree for 30 years.

Inside the station building, there was a display of archive photographs and material documenting the history of Portree RNLI.

David Beaton, Chairman of Portree Lifeboat Station and the Portree Lifeboat Fundraisers, said:

‘The annual Open Day is one of our major fundraising events and we were delighted to welcome hundreds of people down to the pier in Portree. The RNLI is a charity that relies on donations to provide the lifesaving service that it does.

‘We’d like to extend our thanks to the many businesses, organisations, and members of the public who supported us with donations and who offered incredible prizes for our silent auction.

‘We would also like to say a huge thank you to Radio Skye for providing commentary and musical entertainment; to the Isle of Skye Pipe Band for playing so brilliantly for us; and to our colleagues from other emergency services who were all part of this successful day.

‘We are looking forward to seeing you again next year for the Open Day, but also at all our other RNLI fundraising events (such as the popular Burns Night) between now and then!’

The RNLI is a charity that 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

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

· Portree lifeboat Peter and Mary 13-59 officially took over the Portree RNLI service on 1 June 2026. Read more here: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2026/june/01/new-278m-portree-rnli-lifeboat-officially-enters-service

· We are not able to comment on the future of Stanley Watson Barker at present but the retiring vessel will be departing Portree in due course.

· 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.