Ballantrae Lifeboat Station

Ballantrae Lifeboat Station
Former Lifeboat Station, Ballantrae
Ballantrae Lifeboat Station is located in South Ayrshire
Ballantrae Lifeboat Station
Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
General information
StatusClosed
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationLifeboat Station
AddressForeland
Town or cityBallantrae, South Ayrshire, KA26 0NP
CountryScotland
Coordinates55°06′14.7″N 5°00′30.3″W / 55.104083°N 5.008417°W / 55.104083; -5.008417
Opened1871
Closed1919

Ballantrae Lifeboat Station was located on the south-west coast of Scotland at Ballantrae, a village approximately 17 miles (27 km) north of Stranraer, in the county of South Ayrshire, historically Ayrshire.[1]

A lifeboat was first stationed at Ballantrae by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1871.[2]

After operating for 48 years, Ballantrae Lifeboat Station closed in 1919.[3]

History

At the meeting of the RNLI Committee of Management on Thursday 2 December 1869, with reference to the application of local residents, and the subsequent visit and report of the RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats, it was decided to establish a lifeboat station at Ballantrae. It was also decided to appropriate the legacy of the late Mrs Harriot Richardson of Greenwich to the station, and that the lifeboat placed on station was to be named William and Harriot, in accordance with her wishes.[4]

The RNLI journal 'The Lifeboat' of 1 August 1872 reported a 33-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and 10 oars, arriving on station in January 1871. It had been deemed that there were sufficient fishermen resident locally, to be able to crew the lifeboat, which had been transported along with its carriage to Girvan by the London and North-Western and Glasgow and South Western railway companies, the latter being free of charge. The lifeboat, which cost £284-15s, was met by her crew, who then sailed her down to Ballantrae, with the carriage being taken by road.[2]

At a ceremony on 1 February 1871, the lifeboat was paraded through the village to the newly built boathouse, which cost £194-16s, and was duly named William and Harriot (ON 268), before being demonstrated to the assembled crowd.[2]

At 20:00 on the 23 January 1877, the Ballantrae lifeboat was launched to the aid of the brig Aurora, of Ardrossan, on passage from Belfast. The lifeboat arrived with the vessel at 21:00, which had now struck a reef, and the crew of seven were rescued.[5][6]

A larger lifeboat was sent to Ballantrae in 1906. The 35-foot Self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat was also named William and Harriot (ON 548).[7]

During the salvage operation of the S.S. Deloraine on 29 January 1909, which had run aground at Ballantrae in a blizzard in December, a storm blew up. The salvage boat was unable to get in close in the conditions, so the Ballantrae lifeboat was called. With skilful navigation by the lifeboat coxswain in dangerous rock strewn shores, eight men were rescued from the vessel.[8]

Old Boat House ruins, Ballantrae Harbour

Ballantrae Lifeboat Station was closed in 1919. At the ninety-sixth annual general meeting of the RNLI, held at Caxton Hall, Westminster on Thursday, 22nd April 1920, Gen. Sir Coleridge Grove wished the meeting to approve and ratify the sale of the Life-Boat Houses at Prior's Haven, Tynemouth, and at Ballantrae, which were no longer required for the purposes of the Institution.[9]

A lifeboat house still stands, used as a store. The last lifeboat on station, William and Harriot (ON 548) was transferred to the relief fleet, before being sold from service in 1930. She was last reported as a yacht at Greenock in the 1960s.[10]

Besides the complete boathouse pictured at the top of the page, there are also the remains of a derelict boathouse at Ballantrae. It is unclear from available maps, and no records have been found, as to exactly which one was the RNLI boathouse, or if they were both RNLI boathouses. It is possible that a second one was constructed for the arrival of the larger boat in 1906.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Ballantrae.[9]

  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
H. A. Inglis, Honorary Secretary, upon his resignation after 28 years – 1920

Ballantrae lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON[a] Name Built On Station[11] Class Comments
268 William and Harriot 1870 1871−1906 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
548 William and Harriot 1906 1906−1919 35-foot Dungeness (P&S) [Note 2]
  1. ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 33-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £284-15s.
  2. ^ 35-foot x 8-foot 10in (10-oared) Dungeness-class (Rubie) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.

References

  1. ^ "Ayrshire LXV.12". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. VIII (85): 341. 1 August 1872. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  3. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 123.
  4. ^ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. VII (75): 310. 1 January 1870. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Shipwreck on the Scotch Coast". Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough. No. 2701. Middlesbrough. 25 January 1877. p. 3.
  6. ^ "Aurora". The Lifeboat. X (105): 174. 1 August 1877. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  7. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 38.
  8. ^ "The S.S. Deloraine". The Lifeboat. XX (233): 838. 2 August 1909. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b "News from the Branches". The Lifeboat. XXIV (269): 41, 58. May 1920. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  10. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 38–39.
  11. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 26–38.
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