Girvan has welcomed its new £2.1m Shannon class all-weather lifeboat.

The lifeboat will replace the Mersey class lifeboat Silvia Burrell, which has been in service for 25 years.

The vessel that arrived on Sunday is the first of its kind in the west of Scotland.

With a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles it is ideally suited for offshore searches but also equally suited for calm, shallow waters.

The engine provides enough power to tow large vessels and the addition of this lifeboat is seen as a step towards RNLI's goal of an all 25 knot fleet.

The new lifeboat is named RNLB Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan after the sisters of professor James Allan from the John and Elizabeth Allan Memorial Trust who funded the boat.