Oban Mountain Rescue Team

28/08/2026

Ever wondered how much it costs to kit out an Oban MRT volunteer team member?

The personal kit carried by each of our volunteer team members costs around £5,000. Equipment needs to be replaced approximately every 5 years due to wear and tear, that's £1,000, per team member, every year.

These photos show the essential personal equipment our team members carry, with additional specialist kit added during the winter months to keep us safe in Scotland's harsh conditions.

Our volunteers also provide their own:
• Base layers
• Fleece layers
• Underwear
• Food and drink for long days (and nights) on the hill

The £5,000 figure also doesn’t include the team equipment that we own collectively and carry on rescues. This includes medical equipment, technical rescue gear, stretchers, communications equipment and other rescue kit. The true cost of keeping a mountain rescue team operational is considerably higher.

As a charity, we rely on the generosity of our community to help keep our team equipped, trained and ready to respond whenever we're needed.

If you'd like to support the work of Oban Mountain Rescue Team, please consider making a donation. Every pound helps us replace essential equipment, maintain kit, and ensure our volunteers have what they need to respond safely when someone needs help in our hills.

08/08/2026

Worth a read

31/07/2026

⛰️⛑️ BEHIND THE SCENES OF MOUNTAIN RESCUE - PART 2 ⛑️⛰️

Oban Mountain Rescue team are supporting events across Argyll this summer, providing First Aid cover and marshalling across the region from Knapdale to Appin. In addition to generating funds and publicity for the team, it’s also a really good way of connecting with the communities in our area.

First up, back in May, we were in Jura supporting the fell race in partnership with Arrochar team. Events of this nature can only go ahead with the specialist mountain first aid that mountain rescue teams can provide, and it’s always a special event which team members are keen to be involved in.

We were at the Taynuilt Highland Games with a vehicle and supporters providing event first aid cover, and in August we will offer similar cover for the Appin Agricultural show, in addition to marshalling the gruelling hill race up Beinn Donn.

Finally in November we will be in the glorious surroundings of Taynish Nature Reserve in Knapdale, for the Taynish 10k and trail race (and of course the wonderful cakes…)

If you’re planning on attending, or competing, in any of the events then please come and find us. And any donations will be gratefully received!

If you want to support our work in another way, by possibly getting involved in some of this ‘behind the scenes’, non-operational work, we’d also LOVE to hear from you! Get in touch on Facebook or through this link: https://forms.office.com/e/69SS8N2mbS

Oban Mountain Rescue Team – Volunteers ready to respond to those in need, 24/7, 365.

20/07/2026

⛰️⛑️ BEHIND THE SCENES OF MOUNTAIN RESCUE - PART 1 ⛑️⛰️

Mountain rescue isn't all helicopters and adrenaline fuelled hikes up to mountain vistas! This is the first in a short series that we’ll be sharing, to give you an insight into the behind-the-scenes realities of Mountain Rescue.

Before we can even step out the door to a rescue – and even to training - we need to be equipped, have a means of getting on to the hill, and in general, be appropriately organised as a group of volunteers who use their own free time for team activities.

This means that first and foremost, we need to raise funds to support our training, operations, and procurement and maintenance of equipment, drones, vehicles and premises – as well as all the somewhat less glitzy aspects of a volunteer rescue organisation such as insurance and utilities.

Fundraising is the responsibility of the entire team, but we are lucky enough to have a committed fundraising sub-group who meet consistently, planning in order to ensure that the team will be able to continue our life-saving search and rescue operations well into the future.

This workload can be significantly alleviated by your support – whether you can donate a small amount once or perhaps may be able to contribute a monthly donation, it all makes a huge difference to the team.

Another often hidden but crucial part of our support network are our monthly supporters – those that give even a small amount regularly ensure that we are continuously rescue ready – they may often go unrecognised, but we want to take the time to thank them now for their vital support behind the scenes!

If you want to support our work in another way, by possibly getting involved in some of this ‘behind the scenes’, non-operational work, we’d also LOVE to hear from you! Get in touch on Facebook or through this link: https://forms.office.com/e/69SS8N2mbS

Oban Mountain Rescue Team – Volunteers ready to respond to those in need, 24/7, 365.

13/07/2026

It was a busy heatwave weekend for the team! ☀️

On Saturday morning we were tasked to assist with a search for a missing person on the Isle of Mull. Fortunately, as the team were boarding the ferry the missing person was located safe and well at a local hotel.

On Sunday we swapped hill kit for wetsuits to take part in the Rotary Club of Oban Raft Race. We had a great time splashing about in the bay, although there may have been a little friendly rivalry between land rescue and sea rescue... With Dave taking it upon himself to test the buoyancy of the RNLI Oban Lifeboat Station raft 🏴‍☠️

A huge thank you to everyone for cheering us on, we were chuffed to win the Fan Favourite award! 🏆

Our mascot, Lora, also made an appearance to say hello. She loved meeting everyone, but the heatwave wasn't the most comfortable weather for a giant dog made of foam and fleece, so she sensibly kept her wander around town quite short 🐾

After the race, the team got together for a well earned BBQ in the sunshine. It was cut a little short when we were called out following a report from a well meaning walker who had heard calls for help. The team deployed (with their sausage rolls and burgers) to investigate the reported location, but thankfully there was no sign of anyone in difficulty.

A big thank you to MacQueen Bros Ltd & MacQueen Self Store Ltd and The Rotary Club of Oban for another brilliant event, to and to everyone who came along to support the day. We hope to see you again next year... Although Oban RNLI might be keeping a closer eye on Pirate Dave! 😉

📷 1-5 Beth Chalmers Photography

Macqueen Bros

10/07/2026

It's sad day across mountain rescue in Scotland today as after 10 years working at the centre of mountain rescue in Scotland Yasmin Harrower is finally leaving SMR.

Yas is far and away the longest serving member of staff SMR have ever had, tolerating all the different personalities involved in MR ( and some of us can be quite interesting!) throughout Scotland with great good humour and charm.

Thank you for all you have done for us in that time, helping with new radios, rolling out the national training programme, organising teams medical requirements representing us at national level with other agencies and developing our social media reach.

Mountain rescue was a more tolerant, supportive and fun environment to be in whilst you have been around and Oban MRT have benefited in so many ways from your work at the centre, even down to you trusting us to “rescue” you in winter.

So thank you from everyone in Oban MRT and we wish you all the best for whatever the future may bring.

02/07/2026

We're so grateful to Vicky The Little Foragers Kitchen for the amazing fundraising campaign she has undertaken in memory of her close friend Gary Little.

Keep up with Vicky as she prepares to head up to Kintail in September, raising money for mountain rescue along the way. We wish her the best of luck, and will be sure to keep you updated as the campaign progresses!

Volunteer Mountain Rescue teams are ready to respond to those in need, 24/7, 365.

Just 3 months to go until I climb The Five Sisters of Kintail for Oban Mountain Rescue Team in memory of my closest friend Gary Little

I’m delighted to say that target for fundraising has been smashed already. Huge thanks to everyone who has donated and supported me so far in this. I’ve increased the target and will keep on walking up and down these hills

Let’s keep the momentum going and raise awareness as well as funds for the essential life saving work that our local Mountain Rescue volunteers do whenever they’re called to….24/7, rain or shine, they’ll always come to the rescue

https://www.justgiving.com/page/gary-little-fundraiser?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=LFCFRUK_Day3_PageIncNew

28/06/2026

We are delighted with the support John and his team at S & S Services - Subaru UK's No1 Dealer provide to Oban MRT.

LAST CALL IN OBAN – WE CLOSE AT 3:30 PM! 🏔️⏰

It is our final day at the Oban Roadshow! Stop by to see our fantastic variety of vehicles before our family-run team at S & S Services packs up and heads back to Ayr. 🚙💨

🐾Hudson is absolutely obsessed with this beast of a truck. As a half Bernese Mountain Dog, he claims this Oban Mountain Rescue Isuzu D-Max just reminds him of his proud heritage and "half-blood" mountain roots. We think he just wants to drive it! 🐶🏔️

Our family dealership proudly supplied this lifesaving rig to the local Mountain Rescue team who do an amazing job in very difficult conditions, and Hudson highly approves.

Pop down, say hello to the team, and catch us before we finish up at 3:30 PM! Big thank you to all of our amazing customers old and new who popped by to see us, we all loved catching up 🤗

Mountain Rescue Team