New Portree RNLI lifeboat officially named in ceremony

The Shannon class vessel, RNLB Peter and Mary 13-59, took over the official title of Portree Lifeboat on 1 June 2026. She was officially named on Saturday 3 October 2026 with Portree RNLI volunteers, fundraisers, RNLI regional representatives, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, invited guests, and members of the local community all in attendance.

The new lifeboat was made possible by a gift left in the Will of Gladys Mary Pitts who, along with husband Peter, spent many happy years cruising and the sea was central to some of their most cherished memories.

During the ceremony, Renton Doig, friend of Mary and Peter, handed the lifeboat into the care of the RNLI and poured a special dram of Isle of Raasay Distillery malt whisky over her bow.

Speeches were made by David Beaton, Chair of the Lifeboat Management Group; Jill Hepburn, RNLI Head of Region; Douglas MacDougall, Portree RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager; and Renton Doig, friend of Peter and Mary. Stephen Plant, Port Chaplain, led a Service of Dedication.

Following the ceremony, the lifeboat then carried out a short demonstration of her capabilities and gave a nod to the retiring Portree lifeboat of 3 decades, Stanley Watson Barker 14-16.

Douglas MacDougall, Portree RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:

‘The official naming ceremony for Peter and Mary 13-59 was a very special and memorable day. It was lovely to see so many supporters, fundraisers, former crew and branch officials in attendance which added to the overall celebration alongside and supporting the current crew as we move forward into a new period in Portree's lifeboat story. It's been a very busy year at the station with additional training on the new Shannon, several new crew, event planning as well as our normal day to day response to incidents at sea. I'd like to thank everyone for their continued support and goodwill towards the station.’

Stuart Nicolson, full time station Coxswain at Portree RNLI, said:

‘Since Peter and Mary first arrived at the station, the volunteer crew have worked extremely hard to complete the additional training required to operate the new Shannon class lifeboat. I'd like to extend my thanks to them for all their hard work and commitment over recent months. Everyone has been very impressed with the capabilities, handling and comfort of the new vessel and we know that she will be a real asset to us here in Portree for the years to come.’

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

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

· 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]

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, [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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