A walker has been found dead and five others have been airlifted to safety following a large-scale mountain rescue in the Cairngorms. The five were rescued uninjured near Carn Tarsuinn by Braemar Mountain Rescue Team at about midday on Monday 11 February. Shortly afterwards the body of a man was recovered in the Jacob’s Ladder area. It is believed that the walkers were part of a larger party of 35 who were members of Leeds University Hiking Club. The six were reported overdue on Sunday night and more than 100 mountain rescuers were involved in the overnight search. Police inquries…

A large-scale search for six hillwalkers missing in the Cairngorms is currently underway. The alarm was raised on Sunday night when the walkers failed to return and Mountain Rescue Teams from Cairngorm, Dundonnell, RAF Leuchars, RAF Lossiemouth and Braemar are involved as well as search and rescue dogs.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is inviting people to a fascinating free Valentines Day walk to hear the stories hidden within Fife’s coastal rocks. Formed in coal swamps, tropical seas and by erupting volcanoes, Fife’s rocks have influenced its economic heritage, but also formed the intricate shapes of its coastline. The rocks on the Fife coast are around 300 to 360 to million years old. When they were formed, Scotland lay at the equator and had a tropical climate. Carboniferous age rocks such as these are the source of coal, limestone, fireclay, and oil shale in central Scotland. SNH geologist, Rachel…

Three people have been rescued following an avalanche in Coire an t-Sneachda in the Cairngorms today (Saturday 2 February). Although all three were taken by helicopter to hospital in Inverness it is thought that none of them have serious injuries. The avalanche was reported to have happened shortly before 11:30 hours this morning in the Coire an t-Sneachda area of the Cairngorms. Officers from Northern Constabulary were assisted by members of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, RAF Helicopter One Three Seven and Strathclyde Police Mountain Rescue Team, who were conducting training in the area. Earlier in the day two men escaped…

Members of the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team have added their voices to calls for the privatisation of the UK’s military search and rescue helicopter service to be stopped on the basis that the new system will result in fewer people being saved. The Guardian newspaper reports that Willie Anderson, team leader of Cairngorms MRT commented on the planned civilian service that, “Someone will have one eye on the casualty and the other eye on the balance sheet.” The current system is a mix of military bases (8) and civilian bases (4). The Government has been planning to change the service…