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SLCVO Blog 26 June

  • joford4
  • 2 minutes ago
  • 9 min read

This week’s blog looks at the many third sector groups in Skye and Lochalsh that support water-based activities, helping keep communities safe, skilled and connected to the sea during the busy summer months.






Third Sector on the Water in Skye & Lochalsh

Summer in Skye and Lochalsh brings a real shift in pace. Longer days, better weather (well sometimes), and an increase in visitors mean more people out on the water, whether that’s sailing, paddling, swimming, or simply enjoying the coastline. With such a strong connection to the sea, it’s no surprise that water-based activity is a big part of community life.

 

What makes this possible is a network of third sector groups, clubs and volunteers who help create opportunities, keep people safe, and pass on skills. These groups are often community-led and volunteer-driven, playing a vital role in ensuring that activities remain accessible and inclusive. This week’s blog takes a look at the many third sector groups connected to the waters of our area.

 

Safety on the water

Safety is a key part of any water-based activities, organisations like the RNLI and local Coastguard teams are always on hand, ready to respond when things go wrong. These services are supported by dedicated volunteers, giving their time to protect others and keep communities safe.

 

Portree Lifeboat Station

Portree Lifeboat Station, established in 1991 on Skye’s east coast, is powered by a dedicated team of local volunteers who give their time, skills and commitment to keep people safe at sea.

 

The volunteer crew are on call day and night, ready to launch in all conditions to respond to emergencies. Whether it’s supporting fishermen, sailors or visitors caught out on the water, their courage and teamwork are vital, particularly during the busy summer months when activity around the coastline increases.

 

Behind the scenes, volunteer fundraisers play an equally important role. Through community events, collections and local support, they help raise the funds needed to keep the lifeboat operational. Together, the crew and fundraisers show the strength of community spirit in Skye and Lochalsh—ensuring this life-saving service is always there when it’s needed most.

 

Keep up to date with the crew and events on Facebook

 

Kyle of Lochalsh Lifeboat Station

Serving a wide stretch of coastline from the Sound of Sleat to the Inner Sound and surrounding sea lochs, Kyle of Lochalsh Lifeboat Station plays a vital role in keeping people safe across our waters.

 

At the heart of the station is a dedicated volunteer crew, ready to respond at any hour. Using their B class lifeboat, they carry out a wide range of rescues—often in challenging conditions—supporting both local communities and the many visitors who enjoy the area each year.

 

Alongside the crew, there is a strong network of local volunteers who support the station through fundraising and community engagement. As in Portree, these efforts are vital—helping to raise the funds needed to keep the lifeboat service running and ensuring it can continue to respond when it’s needed most.

 

Together, they reflect the strength of community spirit in Skye and Lochalsh, with people coming together to help keep everyone safe on and around the water.

 

Keep up to date with the crew and events on Facebook

 

HM Coastguard / Local Coastguard Teams

Local Coastguard teams are a key part of emergency response along the coastline. Working closely with the RNLI and other services, they respond to incidents on land and at sea, from missing persons to cliff rescues. Like many services in the Highlands, they rely on trained volunteers who are ready to step in when needed. Their presence provides reassurance, particularly during the busy summer season.

 

In our area, teams include North Skye, Dunvegan, Portree, Kyle of Lochalsh (including Broadford), and Duntulm—each made up of trained volunteers ready to respond at any time, day or night. These teams bring local knowledge and commitment, often being first on scene in challenging and remote locations. [

 

Supporting them is the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based in Stornoway. This highly skilled crew provides rapid response across the Western Isles and west coast, often reaching incidents that are difficult to access by land. From rescues at sea to supporting medical evacuations, the helicopter team is a crucial part of the wider emergency response network.

 

Alongside emergency response, HM Coastguard also provides a wide range of online safety advice to help people enjoy the coast safely. From checking tides and weather, to understanding the risks around cliffs, cold water and changing conditions, this guidance is an important part of preventing incidents before they happen.

 

Together, the local volunteer teams, helicopter crews and wider Coastguard network play a crucial role across Skye and Lochalsh—demonstrating once again the strength of community partnerships

 

Find our more here https://hmcoastguard.uk/

Keep up to date with the crew and events on Facebook

 

Water Activities

Alongside safety, there are plenty of opportunities for people to get actively involved on the water. Clubs such as the Isle of Skye Sailing Club and Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club offer a range of ways to take part, whether you’re completely new to sailing or have years of experience. From training and informal sessions to racing and social events, these clubs provide a welcoming entry point into water-based activity.

 

For younger people especially, these opportunities are important. They offer a chance to learn new skills, build confidence, and connect with others in a positive environment. In rural areas like Skye and Lochalsh, where options can sometimes feel limited, clubs like these play a crucial role in providing structured and enjoyable activities.

 

Isle of Skye Sailing Club

The Isle of Skye Sailing Club is a community-led charity at the heart of Portree Bay, offering a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages to get out on the water. As a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, the club is driven by a strong volunteer base that helps make its activities accessible and welcoming to the local community.

 

Volunteers play a key role in running sessions, maintaining equipment and supporting training, helping create a friendly and inclusive environment where people can build confidence and skills. The club is affiliated with the Royal Yachting Association, meaning it can offer recognised training courses alongside informal learning and participation.

 

The summer months are a particularly busy time, with evening sailing sessions, races and courses taking place regularly. From dinghy sailing and windsurfing to powerboating and keelboat racing, there are opportunities for everyone—whether you’re a complete beginner or more experienced.

 

The club also has strong links with young people and schools, helping introduce the next generation to water-based activities in a safe and supportive way. By providing structured learning opportunities and hands-on experience, Skye Sailing Club plays an important role in developing skills, confidence and a lifelong connection to the sea.

 

Through its volunteers, training and community focus, the club is a great example of how local organisations help people enjoy Skye’s coastline safely while bringing people together.

 

Keep up to date with activities and events on Facebook  

 

Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club

Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club is a friendly, community-focused club on the west coast, offering opportunities for both locals and visitors to get involved in sailing, regardless of experience or whether they own a boat.

 

Run by volunteers, the club has a strong community ethos, with members supporting everything from organising races and events to maintaining the club and welcoming newcomers. This volunteer effort helps create an inclusive and social environment, both on and off the water.

 

The summer season is particularly active, with regular racing from April to September and a busy programme of events, including the popular regatta fortnight. Alongside racing, the club also offers RYA training courses and open sailing sessions, helping people build skills and confidence in a supportive setting. [

 

With its open membership and strong volunteer base, Plockton Sailing Club plays an important role in connecting people to the coastline—encouraging participation, learning and a shared enjoyment of the sea for all ages.

 

Keep up to date with activities and events on Facebook

 

Looking After the Coastline and Waters

Spending time on and around the water in Skye and Lochalsh also comes with a shared responsibility to care for it. Across the area, there are third sector groups whose sole focus is protecting our coastline—such as Skye Beach Cleans—as well as groups like Portree Angling Association, where environmental stewardship is built into how they operate. Together, these groups play an important role in keeping our beaches, lochs and rivers clean, safe and sustainable.

 

Skye Beach Cleans

Skye Beach Cleans is a local registered charity dedicated to tackling marine litter across Skye and Lochalsh. Through a mix of volunteer-led clean-ups, surveys and recycling initiatives, the organisation is making a real difference to the health of our coastline and marine environment.

 

At the heart of Skye Beach Cleans is a strong volunteer effort. Regular beach clean events take place across the area, bringing together local people, community groups and visitors to remove litter from our shores. Large-scale initiatives, such as the Bracadale Beach Blitz, have seen tonnes of waste removed in just a few days—demonstrating the impact that collective action can have.

 

The charity works in partnership with a range of organisations to support its efforts, helping ensure that collected waste is properly sorted, recycled or safely disposed of. A key part of their work also focuses on reuse—finding innovative ways to repurpose marine debris, from plastic fish boxes to recovered rope and netting.

 

Skye Beach Cleans also plays an important role in gathering data on marine litter. Through surveys and their online reporting tools, they help build a clearer picture of the types and sources of waste affecting our coast, supporting wider research and influencing environmental action.

 

There are plenty of ways to get involved, whether that’s joining a beach clean, reporting debris, or supporting recycling efforts. With accessible events, guidance and equipment provided, it’s easy for anyone to take part.

 

Through community action, partnership working and a shared commitment to protecting our environment, Skye Beach Cleans is helping to keep Skye and Lochalsh’s coastline clean, healthy and enjoyable for everyone.

 

Keep up to date with activities and events on Facebook

 

Portree Angling Association

The Portree Angling Association plays an important role in connecting people to Skye’s lochs and rivers, while also helping protect the natural environment they depend on. Covering a wide range of waters across the north east of the island, the association provides access to fishing for both locals and visitors, creating opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in a quieter, more reflective way.

 

At its heart, the association is about community. Through shared access, informal gatherings and local knowledge, it brings people together—whether that’s experienced anglers, beginners or those simply looking to spend time by the water. These connections help build a sense of stewardship and respect for the landscapes that make fishing in Skye so special.

 

Environmental protection is also central to the association’s work. By managing access to rivers and lochs, promoting responsible fishing practices and maintaining the health of local waters, they help ensure these fragile ecosystems are looked after for future generations. Their approach reflects a wider balance seen across many local groups—enjoying the natural environment while actively working to protect it.

 

Keep up to date with activities and events on Facebook  

 

Revitalising Maritime Infrastructure

Across Skye and Lochalsh, the sea has always been central to community life, supporting crofting, fishing, travel, and trade. Today, that connection is being reimagined and strengthened, by local third sector organisations stepping forward to take ownership of vital maritime infrastructure.

 

From historic piers to modern harbours, Skye and Lochalsh’s maritime infrastructure is being reshaped by the determination and vision of local communities. These are not just physical assets—they are gateways to opportunity, linking heritage with economic opportunity, resilience and future prosperity.

 

Bringing Harbours Back to Life: The Staffin Story

Staffin Harbour is a powerful example of community-led transformation, with local people—through Staffin Community Trust—taking on ownership and redevelopment of a once vital coastal asset. Originally centred around a historic slipway that served as a lifeline for deliveries and supplies, the harbour has been revitalised in recent years following community purchase and investment. Today it supports a growing range of small businesses, from boat tours to scallop diving, while also providing boat lifting, storage and maintenance facilities. In doing so, it supports local jobs and enterprise, generating income that is reinvested back into the community. This highlights how community ownership can successfully turn traditional infrastructure into sustainable, locally rooted economic assets.

 

 

Meanish Pier: Heritage and Regeneration in Glendale

On the west side of Skye, Glendale Trust has taken a community-led approach to restoring Meanish Pier, a site with deep historical and local significance. Once a busy 19th-century fishing and trading hub, the pier had fallen into decline before being brought into community ownership for public benefit. Recognising its potential, the Trust has worked with the community to re-establish the pier as a key local asset—supporting marine activity, creating new economic opportunities, and maintaining access to the coast. Guided by local consultation and long-term planning, the project reflects a wider vision of regeneration, where the pier is not only a functional space but also part of strengthening and sustaining a fragile rural community.

 

 

Carbost Pier: A Community Harbour on Loch Harport

Further south, Carbost Pier offers another strong example of community-led stewardship of local maritime infrastructure. Owned and operated by Carbost Pier Ltd., a community company and registered charity, the harbour has been gradually improved and maintained through the dedication of local volunteers. Today, it provides moorings and berthing for boats, a slipway for both local and visiting users, and facilities that support marine tourism and community use.

 

More than just a working harbour, Carbost Pier reflects a key principle seen across Skye and Lochalsh: meaningful impact doesn’t always require large-scale development. Through steady, locally driven improvements, the pier has strengthened access to the sea, supported local livelihoods and created a welcoming space for residents and visitors alike—demonstrating the value of community ownership and care.

 

 

 Blog produced with the support of Microsoft Copilot

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