East of Scotland – Angus

This upcoming week of visits will take us the farthest from home yet, including stops at the northernmost Lifeboat Stations operated by the RNLI.

Our journey began with a drive up to Northumberland, and the following day we kicked off our first visit just outside Dundee.

Broughty Ferry Lifeboat Station

Broughty Ferry is a suburb of Dundee four miles east of the city centre on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. We arrived at about 11:30am and after parking nearby, headed to the RNLI shop. Here we met Sally and Sandra. We had a lovely chat about the shop and its unique location in part of a Church opposite the Lifeboat Station. Sandra very generously donated to our JustGiving page before we made our way to the station.

We were met at the door by Lifeboat Operations Manager, Chris and Coxwain Pete. In the crew room we also met Mechanic Scott and crew members Pete and Steve. It was clear that there was a very strong bond between all the crew and we enjoyed a little banter with them over a cup of tea. The guys recalled the tragic story of their previous lifeboat RNLB Mona whilst showing us scale models of the stricken boat.

In the early hours of Tuesday 8th December 1959, a fierce gale was devastating the Angus coastline. Out at sea, the North Carr lightship had broken anchor and was drifting helplessly towards the rocky shoreline. She had no engine of her own and relied on tugs for movement so when her mooring broke she was powerless against the storm.

The coastguard requested both Arbroath and Anstruther RNLI to launch but due to the conditions there were unable to pass the harbour entrance. It was left to Broughty Ferry’s RNLB Mona to launch at 3:13am with a full crew of eight. Just over an hour later the North Carr lightship fired a distress rocket and when asked if they had seen it, the lifeboat radio operator was only able to utter the works “no…our position… we have just passes the middle buoys on The Bar and we are just hanging on”. After a further distress rocket was fired some 30 minutes later, the lifeboat radio operator said “yes, we saw that one. We have just cleared The Barr” . That was the last message heard from the Mona. The crew of the lightship were later airlifted from the vessel by helicopter. At daybreak, the remains of the Mona were found by a dog walker in the breaking waves on a beach near Buddon Ness. The bodies of seven crew member were found in and around the stricken lifeboat. Bowman George Watson was never found.

These stories told by the crew of today are a stark reminder of the challenges they face when they are called out. Of course the modern lifeboats are safer and well equipped but these tragedies really focus our minds on the perils of the sea.

There have been lifeboats present in the area of Broughty Ferry since the early 1800’s. In 1861 the RNLI took over and a new boat house was opened in 1863. The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1911 into a new boathouse. After the Mona tragedy a new Watson class lifeboat arrived to an adapted boathouse. The boathouse is now home to a D-Class, Oor Lifesaver (D-834). A Trent Class, Elizabeth of Glamis  (14-31) is moored at the end of a jetty and has been on station since 2001.

A fascinating visit and we are so thankful to the guys for taking the time to show us around and to meet us.

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Arbroath Lifeboat Station

Our second visit of the day was a short drive up the Angus coast to the harbour town of Arbroath.

The unique looking 1932 boathouse lies on the edge of the harbour and boats are launch via a slipway. We were met at the station by Jack and Nicky who gave us a tour of the boathouse. It has a striking and unusual design but plenty of character. It replaced the former boathouse built in 1865 to house the first motor lifeboat.

As with Broughty Ferry, Arbroath has seen tragedy with the loss of six of a crew of seven on the Liverpool Class, Robert Lyndsay in 1953. She tragically capsized crossing the harbour bar after launching on service.

RNLB Robert Lindsay

In 1968 an inshore lifeboat was introduced and the station altered to accommodate them in 1982 and 1993. In 2024 the stations Mersey Class was replaced by an Atlantic 85. This presented a challenge with a slipway launch for an inshore B Class and so a carriage and winch were installed for the purpose. Jack and Nicky explained some of the challenges with launching and with the condition of the boathouse after over 90 years of exposure to the fierce storms in the area. Unfortunately the station is clad in Asbestos, so any attempt to modernise would be extremely costly.

On station since March 2024 is their Atlantic 85, Dylan Rotchell (B-927) and their new D-Class, Mintybell (D-892).

Thank you to Jack and Nicky for taking time to meet us and show us around.

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Montrose Lifeboat Station

Our final visit of the day was to Montrose. Lying between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers, it is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and developed as a natural harbour that traded in skins, hides, and cured salmon in medieval times. The lifeboat station was established in 1800 with the RNLI taking over in 1869. Their first lifeboat was one of several built by Henry Greathead. Most notable if his boats is the Zetland in Redcar and the only original Greathead boat remaining.

We parked alongside the station and as we were a little early had a stroll along the Quay where a couple of memorials are located. One of which is to a St. Bernard Dog called Bamse, from the Royal Norwegian Navy. Bamse served in World War II as a life saving sea dog and died in Montrose.

We were met at the station by Mechanic, Scott who welcomed us with a cup of tea. He showed us around the station built in 2013. Since 1972 the Montrose all weather lifeboats have been moored afloat. Today they have a Shannon Class, Ian Grant Smith (13-10) on station in 2015 and a D-Class, Margaret Olive (D-897) on station in 2024. The D Class is launched from the pontoon by Davit. Scott very kindly took us onboard the Shannon for some photos before we headed off to our accommodation near Aberdeen.

Thank you Scott for taking the time to show us around.