Six RNLI stations across Scotland are set to receive new lifeboats by the end of the decade amid increasing demand.
Volunteer lifeboat crews responded to 9,058 callouts in 2025 – more than three and half times what was expected of the charity 50 years ago.
In addition to increasing demand, the RNLI said the way people are using the coast and the water is changing, which the charity said requires an “evolutionary” response.
Lifeboat crews are responding to far fewer calls to boats and vessels, and are increasingly responding to people who start out from the beach and use the coast for recreational purposes, such as open water swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding.
It means that the majority of incidents are now within the operational capabilities of an inshore lifeboat, prompting the charity to review its long-term lifeboat fleet strategy.
The changes we are announcing now are fundamental to meeting our goal of a future-fit and sustainable lifesaving service that keeps our own people safe and enables us to save everyone we can
“The RNLI has constantly evolved and improved our service over 202 years,” RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes said.
“We make evidence-based decisions and strive to ensure that we have the right lifeboats in the right places, at the right time to save as many lives as possible around the coast of the UK and Ireland and, crucially, to enable us to bring our selfless, dedicated people home safely.
“We are responding to the changing nature of lifesaving at sea by adapting our service to ensure it is fit for our nations’ future needs. What will never change is our charity’s purpose, to save lives at sea and our mission, to save every one.”
On Monday, the RNLI announced that it has reviewed its fleet strategy and developed a 15-year plan to ensure it has the most appropriate lifeboats in the right places which will save the greatest number of lives in the most effective way while keeping volunteer crews safe.
As part of the RNLI’s 2040 strategy, six lifeboat stations across Scotland will receive new lifeboats between 2028 and 2030.
Scotland’s two remaining Trent-class lifeboats, based at Broughty Ferry and Dunbar, will be replaced by Coastal lifeboats.
The Severn-class lifeboats at Campbeltown, Stromness and Mallaig will be succeeded by Shannon-class lifeboats, and Portpatrick’s Shannon-class lifeboat will be replaced by a Coastal lifeboat.
The second phase of changes will see the modernisation of the charity’s lifeboat fleet through the gradual exit of the Trent-class All Weather Lifeboat, which first entered service in 1994, by the end of 2028.
It will also see a significant capability upgrade to the Shannon all-weather lifeboat and the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, together with the introduction of the new Coastal lifeboat class in 2028.
“We have a responsibility to our volunteer crews to make sure we are providing them with the most capable lifeboat, personal protective equipment and best training to enable them to save lives at sea as safely and effectively as possible,” Mr Sparkes said.
“And as a charity, we must also be clear that we are spending our donors’ money wisely in the right areas and where it will have the most impact. Our 2040 Lifeboat Fleet Strategy provides us with the guiding principles, clear priorities, and actionable information necessary to make these decisions.”
Mr Sparkes added: “The changes we are announcing now are fundamental to meeting our goal of a future-fit and sustainable lifesaving service that keeps our own people safe and enables us to save everyone we can.”
When deciding which lifeboats to place at a station, the RNLI said it considers the capabilities across flanking stations and other search and rescue services to ensure coverage and meet lifesaving demand.