Overdue hill walker airlifted to safety after search teams called out in the Highlands

A hillwalker was airlifted to safety after a mountain rescue team was called out amid wintry conditions in the Highlands.

Kintail Mountain Rescue team was alerted to reports of a missing hillwalker who had not returned from their walk in the area of Creag a Chaorainn, near Achnashellach on Friday.

12 team members were deployed to help search for the walker who was located using Sarloc Rescue phone location technology.

The walker was picked up by HM Coastguard’s Rescue 948 in between snow showers and rewarmed.

HM Coastguard's Rescue 948 picked up the hillwalker in between snow showers. — HM Coastguard’s Rescue 948 picked up the hillwalker in between snow showers. Facebook/Kintail Mountain Rescue

The rescue comes as yellow warnings for ice and snow are in force across Scotland as temperatures plummeted to below freezing.

A spokesperson for the Kintail Mountain Rescue Team said, “Our thanks to HM Coastguard for the airlift and best wishes to the casualty. We hope you make a speedy recovery.”

“Kintail Mountain Rescue Team is made up entirely of volunteers who are on call 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day to help anyone in trouble in the mountains,” they added.

“We rely on public donations to fund our work. If you would like to donate to us, please do so by clicking the link below.”

A spokesperson for the HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway assisted Police Scotland and Mountain Rescue with an overdue walker in the Creag a Chaorainn area at around 8.25am on January 3.

“The walker was recovered and transferred into the care of Kintail Mountain Rescue.”