1988                      Wooden Hut, Side of Village Hall, Ellanbeich, Easdale                                        Photo

2012                      New Wooden Hut beside the New Village Hall, Ellanbeich, Easdale.                Photo

2021                      New Wooden Hut                                                                                                       Photo

13/7/1988 to 8/11/2002                    Volunteer Leader Jim Watson
Feb 2003 to                                       Volunteer Leader Ronnie Robinson (there 28/1/2025)

 2012                                                 SB51XLD        Ford Ranger 4x4

2016 December                                EU09AAF       Ford Ranger 4x4

2019 October                                   SN61EJY          Mitsubishi L200 4x4

2024 February                                 SF61LJZ           Toyota Hi-Lux/Truckman        VSU

October 2025                                  EU09AAF         Ford Ranger 4x4                        VSU

The Ford Ranger is just used as vans to transport the Unit's equipment from the hut to the scene of the incident.

This Unit was commissioned in 1988 and equipment consisted of :-
Small Pump
Length of 3" suction and strainer
Standpipe, key and bar
Six lengths domestic hose
One branch
One length hose reel tubing
(From photo Aye Ready, Issue 5, Winter 1988, page 41.)

There were nine members, six males and three females.

When the new call signs were being implemented in the WEST SDA over a 7 week period beginning 31/8/2020 doing 1 LSO Area per week, Seil was changed from L77 to E81.

In 2021 Colintraive, Kererra, Salen and Isle of Seil all got new huts of the same design by Beaver Timber.

NEW VOLUNTEER UNIT.

<PHOTO> Isle of Seil F77 Volunteer Unit Members with Firemaster Halliday S.D.O. Loban and Mr. W. Harley.

A small number of invited guests attended the commissioning of the Isle of Seil F77 Volunteer Unit. Among the guests was Mr. Harley, Chairman of the Police and Fire Committee. Carrying out the opening Mr. Harley said, “I’m sure this new volunteer unit will be welcomed by the community. While there will always be back-up from Oban Fire Station with Seil volunteers will be able to take care of most of the incidents likely to happen in the area. The regional council is delighted to be able to respond to the needs of the local people.”

SEIL VOLUNTEER UNIT MEMBERS.

James Watson (Leader)      Marine laboratory technician. Past President, Seil Community Council.
Anna Davidson.                 Actress by profession. Now engaged on various projects -croft/museum, painting, boat refurbishing. Was heavily involved in National                                                 Trust for Scotland’s tenement museum project in Glasgow.
David Allsop.                        Self-employed building contractor.
Seamus Anderson.               Farmer.
Andrew Connelly.                Marine laboratory engineer.
Morgan Connelly.                Part-time employee in Post Office.
Andrew Snowdon.               Self-employed engineer. Explosives expert.
Donald Campbell.                 PE teacher at Oban High School. Highland games competitor in heavy field events.
Marion Watson.                   Employed by DHSS (Wife of James Watson)
Mike MacKenzie                  Self Employed Building Contractor (not listed in 'Aye Ready')
(Aye Ready, Issue 5, Winter 1988. Page 41.)

Corrections from Seil Unit David Allsop should read Self-employed Road Transport Business and Mike McKenzie is a Self-employed Building Contractor (Name missing, in unit from start.).

PROFILE SEIL VOLUNTEER UNIT.

The formation of a properly constituted Unit has been a long awaited event by the Community.
The decision was reached by Police and Fire Committee to proceed following submissions by the recently completed Fire Survey Research Project.
It is perhaps worth noting that Seil Volunteer Unit, designated F77 within the operational structure of ‘F’ Division, will bring the total number of such Units within the Brigade area to thirty one.
The area now covered by Seil Volunteers, which has a population of 514 (inclusive of Island and Easdale) is comparable with other such Units within Strathclyde e.g.

Volunteer Station. Population.

E51 - Leadhills                      283
D51 - Lochranza                   214
D52 - Blackwaterfoot           538
F51 - Lochgoilhead              444
F52 - Strachur                       331
F54 - Dalmally                       447
F67 - Carradale                     588
F72 - Ardfern                        260

The Seil Volunteer Unit will now provide “First Aid” firefighting cover in the Easdale, Seil, Kilninver, Armaddy areas of Argyll.
The Unit consists of ten volunteer firefighters, one of whom is appointed Leader. The volunteers, are drawn from members of the community who undertake to make themselves available for training on a regular basis and be prepared to turn out immediately in response to emergency calls.
Their basic training and indeed part of their continuation training will involve the Volunteer Unit working alongside their retained colleagues from Oban. This training will allow them to continue in an effective firefighting role when reinforced by the Oban personnel.
It is interesting to note that three ladies are members of the Unit. Although “lady firefighters” are quite a new innovation in the Fire Service it was long felt in rural situations, such as Seil, they could play a vital part in such an emergency organisation.
It is often the case that the women folk are in the majority during the day when most men in the village are at work elsewhere. In such circumstances it becomes apparent that having some of the ladies in the village take on the responsibilities of firefighting would be in everyone’s best interests. Such firefighters would also be in a position to provide the Unit with cover on a 24 hour basis which is very important.
The firefighting equipment is presently housed in the hut adjacent to the Easdale Village Hall which is a focal point in the community. The firefighting equipment, although basic, is considered to provide good “first strike” capability. It is easily transportable and can produce good firefighting water jets from very limited water supplies. This will no doubt be displayed during the proposed drills in the car park, following the commissioning of the Unit.
<PHOTO> Leadhills (E51) Volunteer Firefighters. (7 volunteers)
(Aye Ready, Issue 5, Winter 1988. Page 43.)

Bridge across the Atlantic 

You’ve heard of the US Navy Seals? Meet the Strathclyde Fire Brigade Seils. The volunteer firefighters from Seil Island, across the Atlantic.
“What?” we hear you ask. “Strathclyde firefighters rushing through the streets of downtown Manhattan? Going to blazes in the Windy City? Strathclyde’s finest plying trade on the other side of The Pond?”
Well, yes and no. Yes, you have to cross Atlantic to get to Seil, and no, it’s not a million miles from Oban. In fact, it’s less than 20 by road. But the island of Seil is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel that is part of the Atlantic Ocean, and you have to cross a bridge to get onto it!
After a number of series incidents there, the local community decided it was time to have some form of locally available fire cover, and so arose the Seal Volunteer Unit.
Volunteer Leader Jim Watson and his crew cover the islands of Seil and Easdale. So, while they may not be hurtling down Sunset Strip clinging to major pumpers, and they don’t wear the famed “Rescue One” tee-shirts, to the community that they serve, they’re just as important as those who do.
Pictured on the ladder is Jim and opposite him his charming firefighter wife, Marion. Yes, Marion takes her hubby to work with her. She says that way she can keep her eye on him and he doesn’t get up to any mischief. Anyway, she adds, they do most things together, so why should work be any different? Well seen who wears the trousers in the Watson household – they both do!
The unit has a strength of 10 firefighters, seven lads and three lassies. And you would think that when 10 people are putting their trousers on in a 6’ by 4’ shed, it doesn’t really matter who wears whose, as long as they fit and the job gets done
Well done to the lads and lassies of Seil and all other volunteer units.
<Photo> Marion and Jim Watson (on ladders) with some of the other Seil volunteers – from left, Mike McKenzie, Anna Davidson and Kevin Raebitt.
(Aye Ready, Number 17 Spring 1995. Page 9)

July 2003, Land has been acquired and the plans for a new Volunteer Garage have been granted. They are to start building next year.