Leverburgh Lifeboat Station
| Inshore Lifeboat | |
|---|---|
| Launch Method | Versadock |
| Address | Leverburgh, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, HS5 3UB |
| Telephone | 01859 520424 |
Explore two centuries of RNLI lifeboat history, heroic rescues, and the enduring tradition of saving lives at sea.
At the southern tip of the Isle of Harris, on the tide-swept Sound of Harris, Leverburgh runs a fast Atlantic 85. One of the youngest stations in the RNLI, it was established in 2012 to fill the long gap between Barra Island and Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides.
For decades the Outer Hebrides were covered only at their two ends, by Barra Island and Stornoway. To close the long gap between them, the RNLI opened a new station at Leverburgh in 2012, at the southern end of Harris — one of the youngest lifeboat stations in the service. It was declared operational on 11 May 2012, after a relief Mersey-class lifeboat had completed the crew’s training.
In 2018 Leverburgh received a brand-new Shannon-class lifeboat, the Stella and Humfrey Berkeley, whose delivery from Poole was the longest passage ever made by a Shannon. After a review of the station’s crewing and launching needs, the RNLI decided in 2021 that a smaller, more easily launched boat suited Leverburgh better.
The Shannon was reassigned to Portpatrick in 2024, and Leverburgh now runs an Atlantic 85, the John and Louisa Fisher, kept ready on a floating ‘drive-on’ pontoon.
