Mountain rescue leaders are seriously concerned for the wellbeing of an experienced climber who disappeared in Glen Nevis more than a week ago.
A 60-strong squad – comprising mountain rescue teams from across Scotland joined by police and search dogs and a coastguard helicopter – drew a blank last night following a day-long search for Eric Cyl.
The 62-year-old was last seen setting off for a walk, apparently into the Ring of Steall area in the Mamores mountain range, near Fort William a week past Saturday.
Mr Cyl is an accomplished outdoors man, having scaled more than 130 Munros.
Speaking last night, Lochaber team leader John Stevenson said: “We found nothing. It’s very frustrating. For the family’s sake, we just want to see if we can get him but, unfortunately, we’re still struggling to find a place that he’s gone.
“It’s such a huge area and the terrain is really bad. We need some sort of clue.”
He said it had been windy, but visibility was favourable over the weekend and the cloud level had lifted.
The Lochaber team was joined by colleagues from Oban, Glencoe, Tayside, Strathclyde, the Ochils, the specialist Sarda search-and-rescue dog team and three police dogs.
“We’ve been offline, going beyond the ridges,” Mr Stevenson added. “It’s hard going for the people on the hill. We’re very concerned now.
“We’d like to appeal again to anybody who was in the Steall area of Glen Nevis last Saturday (May 30), if they did see anyone resembling Eric anywhere, it would help us.”
The Lochaber team has been involved in the search all week, often in challenging weather.
Mr Cyl, who travelled to the area from England, was reported overdue by a friend.
When he set off, he was wearing a light grey jacket and dark trousers. He is stocky with short grey hair and was walking alone, using two walking poles.
Anyone who may have seen him is urged to call the police on 101.
On Saturday, a 15-strong Cairngorm team went to the aid of a 40-year-old woman who slipped and suffered a suspected broken ankle while crossing a stream in Glenfeshie.
The rescuers called in the new Dalcross-based Bristow coastguard search and rescue helicopter for the first time.
The crew took the woman, who was among a party of five walkers on the hills above Glenfeshie, to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Her condition is not known.
She slipped in an area known as the Great Moss, by a hill called Tom Dhu.
Her group is believed to have travelled from England.
Team leader Willie Anderson said: “The woman slipped while crossing a stream and suffered what appeared to be a dislocation fracture of an ankle.
“Normally it’s just a wee stream, but due to the rain we’ve had it was flowing a bit more.
“Our part was quite minimal. The Bristow crew were very efficient and we were very grateful to them.”
One of the party of walkers had contacted the police by walking about a mile to get a signal on his mobile phone.