A nurse who suffered a serious foot injury in a mountain fall was airlifted to hospital by a helicopter which was on an exercise nearby.
Ann Cameron, 56, slipped shortly after reaching the peak of 2,657ft Meall a’ Bhuachaille near Aviemore with friend Jackie Linstrum, 57.
The two experienced walkers, who are both from Glasgow, managed to get a phone signal and called for help.
Ms Cameron, a neonatal nurse, was airlifted from the scene near Glenmore Lodge to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness by the city-based civilian search and rescue helicopter.
Ms Cameron, who was discharged from casualty after a couple of hours, said: “I’m ok. I’m sore. They think I might have fractured my heel.
“I will get checked out at a fracture clinic when I get back to Glasgow.
“The rescuers were absolutely fabulous, as were the staff at Raigmore.
“We’d come over the top and we were heading down the other side.
“We’d come off the main track where the reindeer are and were trying to get back on o the track.
“There are deep tracks into the hillside where the water runs down and, unfortunately, you can’t see them because of the heather.
“My foot went in one and my momentum carried me on, and that’s where the injury happened.
“The guys from Glenmore Lodge brought us stuff to make us comfortable and then the helicopter winched a guy down who helped winch me up. They were all very professional, very nice.”
She added: “You feel foolish and think about the expense of people coming out to help you for an ankle injury.”
Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team leader, Willie Anderson, said: “The two women knew their location and they had good gear, so I wasn’t over concerned about the seriousness of it.
“Because they were close to Glenmore Lodge I asked if they could send a couple of guys in with the Land Rover and some gear to keep them warm.
“The team were going to follow up with a stretcher but by good fortune Rescue 951, the Bristows helicopter, was training in the area.
“So, by the time I got to the rescue base they were on the radio. They were delighted to help, so it all worked very quickly.”
