STV NewsAn impressive new lifeboat has been showcased at an official launch in Invergordon.
A drop of a certain famous soft drink blessed the RNLI’s new vessel – the “Agnes AP Barr”.
Edinburgh-born philanthropist and RNLI member Agnes Barr bequeathed half the £2.5m cost of the craft in her will.
Her passion for the charity was fuelled by her brother’s love of sailing.
She married widower Robert Barr in 1990 and her support for the RNLI strengthened because her husband and his family’s charitable trust were benefactors of the organisation.
After Robert’s death in 1993, Agnes resolved to give her excess income to the RNLI. She died in 2017.
The grateful charity is thrilled to have its most advanced all-weather lifeboat.
RNLI lifeboat operations manager Calum Slater, said: “It’s a fantastic vessel, capable of doing in excess of 40 knots at sea. We normally operate at about 25 knots.
“It is capable of operating in shallower waters, in cloose proximity to navigational hazards.
“It’s got all the state of the art technology on board, something which its predecessor was being updated as we went along. But having had 25 years on station with the predecessor, we now have a modern boat that we can use, hopefully for the next 25 years.”
He described the donation as “fantastic”, especially in tough economic times.
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