The Edna May arrived on Tuesday morning at the RNLI station as relief boat for the current Largs inshore lifeboat.

Every five years the Largs boat is required to go back to HQ and have total strip down and overhaul before returning to service.

The Edna May will be on station for at least three months.

RNLI spokesman Alasdair Woods explained: "The existing boat goes to Poole and is stripped right down to nothing and completely rebuilt and upgraded with any new technology which has come in since which is not already fitted to bring it thoroughly up to date before it returns to action off Largs."

Photo: Archie Burleigh