Organisers of the event have named the town's Maritime Rescue Institute as its charity of choice, to benefit from the two-day celebration of Scotland's real ales on November 5 and 6. MRI runs the local lifeboat, supported by 20 volunteers from all walks of life and serviced by two lifeboats declared to HM Coastguard.

This courageous crew answers an average of 18 rescues per year, often putting themselves at risk to pluck others from danger at any time in all weathers. Money raised by the not-for-profit real ale festival, to be held at Stonehaven Town Hall, will help pay for a refit of one of MRI's two lifeboats.

Robert Lindsay, organiser of the Stonehaven Real Ale Festival, said: "We could think of no better charity for our first real ale festival to support than MRI. "Hero is a word that's bandied around freely these days, but the folk at MRI truly justify that description.  "There are people who owe their lives to MRI and you cannot put a price on that. We just hope we can raise as much money as possible for them to keep up that great work. "I think the hundreds of folk we expect at Stonehaven Town Hall will be delighted to know that not only are they having a good time, they are helping to save lives, too."

The work of MRI includes training other national and international lifeboat crews and it has built up a reputation second to none. It has a superb schools education programme, to get across the safety at sea message and also helps research and develop state-of-the-art rescue practices and equipment. To do all of this requires a huge fund-raising effort by this registered charity. MRI manager Ann Laing welcomed the support of the real ale festival. She said: "It isn't just the financial support from this event that is exciting, but the fact individuals, like these guys from the festival, are prepared to support MRI and appreciate our work."

Ann added, tongue in cheek, : "It is absolutely fantastic that a group of blokes from our home town of Stonehaven are prepared to go through the hard graft of sourcing, sampling and sipping Scottish ales, all in support of their local lifeboat." The festival, which will feature one ale from every Scottish brewery, as well as music and entertainment is expected to draw hundreds of real ale fans - and novices - to the town.
The event, which aims to grow in years to come to become a fixture on the North-east calendar, is being sponsored by Deeside Brewery.