Heritage display chronicles 57 years of lifesaving at RNLI Tighnabruaich.

The display running in the Heritage Centre, Tighnabruaich, includes newspaper articles, film and photographs which record the start and progress of lifeboat support in the area dating from 1967 when a 'D' class vessel was launched from a wooden shed.

As a charity, the RNLI depends on donations, volunteers and public support all of which feature in the story from the first boat, through the provision of the first 'Atlantic 85' RIB, and the opening of the purpose-built boathouse in 1998. The volunteers who crew, launch and maintain the boat, organise and support crucial fundraising activities also feature, the names of many will be familiar to residents and visitors to the coastal village over these past decades.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.