A group of school children scrambled to safety yesterday after their 25ft cutter hit rocks in Morayshire, Scotland.

The eight pupils and one teacher from Gordonstoun School, Moray, got into difficulty around 4pm when their yacht, which doesn’t have an engine, drifted onto the rocks at Hopeman harbour. The school’s safety boat tried to assist, but they too became stuck.

Buckie RNLI lifeboat and a coastguard helicopter were launched, but by the time they arrived on scene, the crews had managed to climb off their vessels and safely make landfall. Fortunately, no-one was injured.

Andrew Horgan of Aberdeen Coastguard said ‘We think the vessel, which was trying to assist another of the school’s cutters, may have dropped its sails too rapidly. While the other vessel got back safely, this one hit rocks and was badly damaged.’

Both boats are still on the rocks, and coastguard auxiliaries have been patrolling the area to check no members of the public put themselves at risk. The school is expected to salvage the yachts when conditions allow.