Kayakers rescued after getting stranded on Loch Ness during strong winds

Three kayakers had to be rescued by an RNLI lifeboat after becoming stranded on Loch Ness.

The group got into difficulty around a mile south of the shore on Friday and were unable to make their way back to a nearby youth hostel in Alltsigh due to strong winds and large waves.

A rescue mission was launched just after 5.30pm, and four volunteer crew members from the Loch Ness Lifeboat station made their way towards the trio before successfully getting them back to land.

The public is now being warned of the dangers of the loch, with conditions described as changing “very quickly, especially in strong winds”.

Kieron Tarling, volunteer helm for Loch Ness RNLI, said: “The casualties were unsure of their location and distance to the road, so we were tasked by HM Coastguard to assist.

“We quickly located the casualties, but due to the rocky shoreline and challenging weather conditions, the lifeboat could not reach the shore and so a volunteer crew member was dropped as close as possible and waded ashore to assess their condition.

“All of the casualties were safe and dry and had reached the shore in their kayaks without entering the water.

“The owner of the rented kayaks had also been called and had reached the scene from the road shortly after our arrival.

“As it transpired, the casualties were close enough to the road to be able to walk to the kayak owner’s vehicle, who then transported them back to the youth hostel before later returning to collect the kayaks.

“As soon as the casualties were in safe hands, our volunteer crew member was recovered back to the lifeboat, and we returned to the station.”