West of Scotland - Ayrshire

Oakhill Cafe & Deli

After a long and tedious drive north due to bank holiday traffic we stayed overnight in Carnforth, Lancashire. The following morning we set off for our first station visit of this trip, Girvan Lifeboat Station. Along the way we stopped for brunch at a fantastic café, Oakhill Café and Deli, along the A75 towards Stranraer. They have given us an amazing welcome each time we have visited and follow our journey on our socials.

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Girvan Lifeboat Station

Our first stop was Girvan Lifeboat Station on the South Ayrshire Coast. As we came over the hill into the town we spotted a lifeboat heading north at good speed. We checked on the Marine Traffic App to discover that it was the Girvan Lifeboat. At the station we took our required photos and waited to see if any crew would arrive but with the boat being out we suspected they would be on that.

The station itself is an unusual design built into a bank overlooking the small harbour. Established in 1865, it is the oldest operational in Ayrshire. The current building was completed in 1993. The station has a Shannon Class lifeboat, the one we saw heading out to sea, 13-23 Elizabeth & Gertrude Allan.

After waiting a little longer at the station we discovered that 13-23 had ended up in Dunure Harbour a few miles up the coast in the direction we were heading to our next stop. We took a diversion to see if we could get a glimpse of it and found that it was attending the Dunure Festival of the Sea. Trying to avoid hefty parking charges we had a quiet word with a security guard who very kindly let us through to the harbour to take a quick photo of the boat. Like a stealthy undercover agent I hopped out the car  took a couple of snaps and jumped back in, making sure I didn’t mow any of the hundreds of visitors down as I made a speedy exit from the harbour.

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Troon Lifeboat Station

Our second stop of the day was to Troon Lifeboat Station. Located on the quayside in the harbour, the station was built in 1987. On arrival the gates were closed and there was no sign of any crew. We took our required photos and waited a little while. During our visits we never take for granted that any of the brave volunteers will be available to see us. We know that the lifeboat was out on service the night before and so who could blame the crew for having a relaxing Saturday with their families.

Another long established station, Troon has been in existence since 1871. The lifeboats were launched by carriage up until 1904 since when they have been permanently moored afloat. We could just see the top of their new Shannon Class lifeboat through the fence. Roy Barker VI (13-55) arrived on station on 4^th May 2025. We have previously seen three other boats adorned with the Roy Barker name at Mumbles, New Quay and Wick. Prior to the arrival of the Shannon Class, Troon were served by a Trent Class. They also have a D-Class inshore lifeboat called Sheena (D-821).

After our visit we headed north to Largs for an overnight stay just a few minutes from Largs Lifeboat Station. We enjoyed a lovely fish supper in town watching the ferries go back and forth to the Island of Cumbrae before heading back for a good nights sleep.