Leverburgh lifeboat withdrawn – but discussions continue
As expected, the Leverburgh lifeboat was withdrawn from operation last Friday, following a key meeting earlier in the week between lifeboat crew and senior figures from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution about how to provide future safety cover in Harris.
Jill Hepburn, RNLI Head of Region for Scotland, confirmed the cessation of the service.
“Over the coming months, it will be necessary for us to remove some of the equipment off site in order to keep it maintained and functional while we consider the future options," she said.
“Once again, we would like to express our sincere thanks to volunteers, past and present, and the communities of Harris, Berneray and North Uist who have showed unwavering support of our charity. We will continue to engage with internal and external stakeholder as we consider the future of the RNLI on Harris.
“A final decision is expected before spring 2026. In the meantime, I’d like to reassure you that we will have flank station coverage from Barra, Stornoway and Portree.”
Harris councillor Kenny Macleod was heavily involved with the Leverburgh lifeboat as one of its launch authorities and local training coordinator, as well as being RNLI water safety officer.
He said: “It’s hugely disappointing but it’s the reality of low populations, small communities, and a lot of people working during the day, not necessarily in that area. It’s just purely numbers. All voluntary organisations are struggling for volunteers.
“We kept it going as long as we could but it got to the stage where it wasn’t possible to keep it going and maintain the lifesaving presence that we would want.
"It’s up to the RNLI now to decide what they think. They’re keen to look at other options for Harris and see what other options we can come up with.”
Leverburgh lifeboat station was opened in 2012 after a long community campaign and fund-raising efforts, as the lack of provision in the south of Harris was seen as a major gap, with Barra RNLI at one end of the Western Isles and Stornoway at the other.
Initially, the Leverburgh volunteers operated a six-crew all-weather Shannon class lifeboat, but after a two-year hiatus and consultation that was reduced in 2021 to a four-man Atlantic 85 inshore RIB lifeboat, which it was hoped would be more manageable going forward.
Since 2021, the Atlantic 85 lifeboat has been called out on 23 occasions.
Discussions are underway about how the region could be covered, with possible alternatives being the creation of a new base in Tarbert – with its larger population to hopefully draw volunteers from.
Cllr Macleod said: “Leverburgh was the ideal physical location for a boat to go east and west through the Sound of Harris but with the shortage of people living in the area and available crew to volunteer, it’s just not sustainable. We’ve had a go at it for a few years… but it hasn’t proven so.”
Cllr Macleod said they were “trying to find a way forward”, including looking at “can we do something in Tarbert?” or “can we do something in a different way”.
He added: “Sometimes you have to think outside the box. I don’t think anything is off the table at the moment.”