Macduff's station history

On 16 November the schooner Pearl was driven ashore at Banff.  Initial attempts to get a rocket line aboard failed and a coble manned by seven men was launched from the shore.  It capsized and one man John McDonald was drowned.  Lt William Henry Woodham RN got the rocket apparatus into action again and saved four men from the Pearl and the six survivors from the coble.  He was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry.  John McDonald’s widow was given a grant of £5.

At the RNLI Committee Meeting held on 1 December 1859, a letter was considered from the Lifeboat Inspector, Cdr Macdonald RN, stating necessity for a lifeboat.  1 March 1860, it was decided to form a lifeboat station.  Lifeboat sent in August 1860.  Established at Banff in 1860, the boathouse was moved to halfway between Banff and Macduff in 1867.

It was decided to call the station 'Banff and Macduff'.

The station was moved to Whitehills and in 1924 the station was renamed Whitehills until its closure in 1969.  See Whitehills Station History (Closed Station).

In September 1973 the Committee of Management decided to station a lifeboat at Macduff, Grampian, for a year's trial. The first lifeboat was sent to the station on 28 March 1974, which was The James and Margaret Boyd, a 52ft Barnett class previously stationed at Stornoway, Western Isles, where she had rescued 36 lives.  The permanent establishment of the station was approved by the Committee of Management in March 1975.

The Douglas Currie lifeboat, a 48ft 6in Solent class was sent to the station on 30 September. This lifeboat had previously been at Kirkwall, Highland, where she had rescued 12 lives.

On 8 September the lifeboat was withdrawn and the station was closed.

Inshore lifeboat station established in September with an Atlantic 21 class lifeboat.

Work commenced in February on a new boathouse for the B class ILB.

New class of lifeboat B804 Lydia Macdonald was placed on service on 7 June.  This lifeboat was generously funded by the R S Macdonald Charitable Trust.  Lifeboat B578 The Rotary Club of Glasgow has been withdrawn to ILC Cowes.