Warning issued as avalanche pictured sliding down mountain in Scottish Highlands

A warning has been issued in the Scottish Highlands after an avalanche was pictured sliding down a mountain.

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) took the pictures on Monday at Creag Meagaidh, on the northern side of Glen Spean.

The hazard rating in the Creag Meagaidh area, one of six mountain areas covered by the service, has been branded by SAIS as “considerable”.

No one was hurt in the avalanche on Monday.

It comes as the SAIS reported at least seven avalanches involving dry snow on Monday, including Lochaber, Glen Coe, Northern and Southern Cairngorms and Torridon.

The SAIS said: “At least seven dry natural avalanches in the environs of Coire Ardair today. Persistent drifting throughout the morning built weak windslab high on most N to E facing lee slopes and gullies.

“With more snow and wind in prospect overnight and throughout Tuesday, instability is expected to become a little more widespread on lee slopes.

“I think all today’s events were new snow avalanches – avalanches that occur during or immediately after snowfall or drifting – and unrelated to the complicated pattern of buried weak layers that seemed to have affected our area recently.

“It’s entirely possible these persistent weaknesses will become reactive once buried by a relatively heavy overburden of newly drifted snow. We shall see.

“If you read the avalanche forecast carefully you’ll see the phrase, ‘Avalanches are likely’ which indicates that we think avalanches will be naturally occurring, being triggered simply by the sustained build up of drifted snow and not by other triggers such as cornice collapse.

“It’s indicative of very poor stability.”

So far, 78 avalanches have been recorded this season.