A woman has been rescued after becoming stranded in a precarious spot when she fell while out hillwalking.

Paramedics and firefighters had to build a specially designed stretcher for the woman after she fell about 50ft and suffered spinal and chest injuries on Loudoun Hill, near Strathaven in East Ayrshire.

The woman, who is in her 60s, was taken down to a flat area at the base of the hill where the Scottish Ambulance Service's rescue helicopter collected her and took her to Crosshouse Hospital near Kilmarnock.

The incident on the 1,037ft hill happened at about 1.45pm on Friday.

Steven Logan, station commander with Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, said: "The casualty had suffered a nasty fall.

"However, the combined efforts of fire crews and our partners in the ambulance service, the police and Royal Navy search and rescue meant that she could be quickly and safely stabilised and transported to hospital."

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