Longhope Lifeboat Museum

Longhope Lifeboat Museum An independent maritime museum with seaworthy vintage lifeboat the Thomas McCunn in her original setting. OPEN Monday - Friday 11am - 4pm

Memorabilia of past Longhope lifeboats and rescues including the tragic story of the T.G.B, lost with all hands. Telling the important story of the Longhope lifeboats, Orkney seafaring and the RNLI. Connecting every visitor with the historical and emotional legacy of the crews, boats and island communities.

We are looking for volunteers to 'fly the flag' for Longhope lifeboat museum. If you are interested in joining our marsh...
18/08/2026

We are looking for volunteers to 'fly the flag' for Longhope lifeboat museum. If you are interested in joining our marshalling team and raising funds for the museum, please leave a message and we will send you more details. Thank you.

See post below.
03/08/2026

See post below.

Sunday 19 JulyThe Orkney Bikers rally raises £1224.69 for the Longhope Lifeboat Museum.What a sight it was to see over t...
21/07/2026

Sunday 19 July

The Orkney Bikers rally raises £1224.69 for the Longhope Lifeboat Museum.

What a sight it was to see over thirty bikers from all over Orkney arrive at the Longhope Lifeboat Museum after they had spent a day touring Hoy and Walls. Every year the bikers organise a rally to raise funds for a charity and this year we are delighted to have been chosen.

The very generous bikers raised an amazing £1224.69 which they kindly donated to the Longhope Lifeboat Museum. We would like to sincerely thank all the bikers for their visit and the fantastic donation. It was really interesting to see all the bikes and meet the riders.

We would also like to thank all those who made this visit possible including Dougie Stanger and family for organising the event, Cristle and staff at Beneth’ill Cafe for supplying the food, Argos bakery, The Hoy Kirk Heritage Centre and helpers, Brian Clegg and Orkney Ferries.

Thank you Orkney Bikers and we hope you enjoyed your visit.

BIG NEWS: LONGHOPE LIFEBOAT MUSEUM SECURES MAJOR FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND TO PRESERVE ORKNEY’S LI...
14/07/2026

BIG NEWS: LONGHOPE LIFEBOAT MUSEUM SECURES MAJOR FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND TO PRESERVE ORKNEY’S LIFEBOAT AND MARITIME LEGACY.

Longhope Lifeboat Museum Trust is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a significant grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The £1.6m of vital funding will safeguard and celebrate our unique local maritime history and our lifeboats, ensuring that the legacy of courage, community resilience, and our deep connection to the sea is preserved for generations to come.

The Museum Trust will directly channel this generous grant into restoring both our vintage lifeboat the Thomas McCunn, and our historic lifeboat station. It will also enable us to build a new visitor and exhibition centre celebrating our maritime heritage, the story of the Longhope lifeboat from 1874, its humanitarian role and its place in the cultural soul of our community.

This milestone could not have been achieved alone. It all started in 2018/2019 with the public responding so very generously to our GoFundMe appeal. This allowed us to employ someone part-time who could approach The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funding bodies and turn our vision and dreams for the museum into official documents and applications. Assisted by a highly skilled team, this huge effort resulted in a resounding success.

The Board of Trustees wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to the The National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery players and our dedicated team of volunteers and staff who worked tirelessly, throughout the intense application process. Furthermore, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the local donors and organizations who stepped forward with match funding. In challenging economic times, this vital backing was instrumental in our successful bid, demonstrating to The National Lottery Heritage Fund just how much this heritage means to the people of Orkney, Scotland and throughout the British Isles.

We would like to mention that we are continuing to secure more match funding in order to achieve our target and then, the work can begin.

Kevin Kirkpatrick, Chair of the Board of Trustees, commented: "We are absolutely delighted by this news. Receiving this funding is due to the incredible dedication of our team of Trustees, the Trust Project Board, Project Manager and the Museum Exhibitions Officer and the support of our island community and wider communities. To everyone who worked tirelessly on the application and to every single person who provided the crucial match funding: thank you. Your support ensures that the museum stays safe and open; our vintage lifeboat, collections and archives are preserved, and in the new visitor centre, the stories of our past continue to inspire our future."

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Its vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.

Tomorrow 5 July is a great opportunity to have a look round the Longhope lifeboat and enjoy the Lifeboat Guild's tea and...
04/07/2026

Tomorrow 5 July is a great opportunity to have a look round the Longhope lifeboat and enjoy the Lifeboat Guild's tea and home bakes. 2 - 4pm at Longhope pier.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATEThe Longhope Lifeboat Museum will be fundraising in the Blue Door charity shop, Kirkwall, ...
24/06/2026

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE

The Longhope Lifeboat Museum will be fundraising in the Blue Door charity shop, Kirkwall, from 28 July - 1 August. Any donations of items (clothing, household goods, toys etc) or Raffle prizes will be very gratefully received and can be left at the Longhope Lifeboat station. Or pop in to the Blue Door and find a bargain!
Many thanks for your support.

Here’s one for the archives. On 9 June 2026, the Longhope lifeboat was called out on a shout and the crew comprised of f...
19/06/2026

Here’s one for the archives.

On 9 June 2026, the Longhope lifeboat was called out on a shout and the crew comprised of five of our finest coxswains, two mechanics, and two crew members. Not only that but we have a sixth coxswain who was off the island at the time.

For an island with a very small population to have six qualified coxswains, two qualified mechanics and a fantastic team of crew members is amazing.

Needless to say the rescue was successfully and calmly undertaken.

Hats off to RNLI Longhope!

For those of you who are following the astonishing Life Story of Bill Mowat and the Longhope lifeboat here is Part 4.
17/06/2026

For those of you who are following the astonishing Life Story of Bill Mowat and the Longhope lifeboat here is Part 4.

Address

Longhope
KW163NZ

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+441856701737

Website

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