A lifeboat was first set up at Montrose in 1800 after 70 ships were lost on the North Sea coast, including several from the local area, during storms in January of that year. The boat was set up at the lightkeeper's house at the mouth of the River South Esk.
For the first 125 years of its existence the boats were rowed by the fishermen of Ferryden and launched by horses, or if the horses didn't arrive in time, by the local townsfolk.
In 1869 the station became part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a new lifeboat house and slipway was built.
In 1872 the lifeboat 'Mincing Lane' was involved in the dramatic rescue of the 'Heriette', which ran aground on a journey from Sligo in Ireland to the Baltic with nine crew on board. Four lifeboatmen fell overboard as six of the crew jumped aboard. The inshore boat was launched from the beach and rescued the remaining three crew members. The lifeboatmen were eventually picked up from the waters in an exhausted state, but one of them, Alexander Paton died a few days later. Two lifeboatmen, W Mearns and W Mearns Jnr, were awarded the silver medal.
In 1900 the station was extended to house two lifeboats with the first powered boat arriving in 1926.
In 1972 the station moved to the north quay and then moved to the current site at Wharf Street in 2013.
The full list of boats:
1800-1807, Unnamed, 8 Oared.
1807-1834, Unnamed, 8 Oared.
1834-1869, Unnamed, 8 Oared. These first three boats saved 164 lives.
1869-1887, Mincing Lane, 10 Oared, 140 Lives Saved.
1887-1894, Augusta, Self-Righter, 37 Lives Saved.
1894-1900, Robert Henderson, Self-Righter, 18 Lives Saved.
1901-1924, Sarah Jane Turner, Self-Righter, 82 Lives Saved.
1924-1926, Civil Service No.3, Self-Righter, 2 Lives Saved.
1926-1939, John Russell, Watson, 26 Lives Saved.
1939-1972, The Good Hope, Watson, 44 Lives Saved.
1972-1989, Lady MacRobert, Solent, 17 Lives Saved.
1989-2015, Moonbeam, Tyne, 98 Lives Saved.
2015-, Ian Grant Smith, Shannon.
In addition, the inshore boats from 1869 to 2014 and the current boat 'Nigel A Kennedy', have saved 250 lives.