Off-duty police officers rescued after becoming stranded on Skye Cuillin Ridge peak

Off-duty mountain rescuers and police officers had to call for help after becoming stranded on a Munro in Skye in torrential weather conditions on Saturday.

Four members of the Police Scotland including officers and members of the force’s mountain rescue team scaled Sgurr Dubh Mor on Skye’s Cuillin Ridge, but became stranded on the rock face after climbing up the Dubh’s slabs from Coruisk as it was battered by gale force winds and heavy rain.

Five volunteers from Skye Mountain Rescue Team set off at 10.30pm to help the group and eventually reached the summit at 2am.

Rescue helicopter 948 from Stornoway was dispatched to assist in the major rescue operation however was forced to be turned back due to the worsening weather.

Rescue teams, who said that by that time the rain was “relentless”, had to help the climbers carefully retrace their steps while faced with “difficult route finding, swollen streams and slippery rocks”.

The climbers were brought to safety at Glen Brittle by 7am on Sunday morning.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a group of walkers in difficulty in the area of Sgurr Dubh Mor in the Cuillin on Skye shortly after 6.45pm on Saturday, September 2.

“The group were assisted off the mountain by the Skye Mountain Rescue Team. No one was injured.”

A HM Coastguard spokesperson said: “The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway was sent to a report of four walkers stuck on the Cuillin, Isle of Skye, on Saturday September 2.

“The alarm was raised at about 8.05pm. The helicopter was unable to assist due to weather conditions.”