An injured climber was airlifted to hospital after a 12-hour rescue operation in the Cairngorms at the weekend.
A total of 31 members from the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, assisted by members of the Braemar and Aberdeen rescue teams took part in the operation after the man fell on Shelterstone Crag.
He landed on a small ledge 500 feet up after the accident which happened around 5.30pm on Saturday.
A team doctor looked after the injured climber on the ledge until the rescue teams managed to lower him down to the base of the crag.
He was then airlifted to hospital by a Coastguard search and rescue helicopter. His condition is not known.
A Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team spokesman said: “After a complex, technical rescue, the casualty was lowered to the coire floor and carried to a landing site. The helicopter finished that bit of the job and took him to hospital.”
The operation finished around 1am and the teams then had to face the long trudge back across the Cairngorms at night carrying large sacks of rescue equipment, with many not arriving home until almost breakfast time.
It has been a busy time for the Cairngorm team as this was their seventh rescue in as many days.
Last week, an injured climber was airlifted from a ledge at Lurcher’s Crag after falling more than 30 feet.
Climbers were also injured by rockfall in separate incidents at Fingers Ridge and Pygmy Ridge and the team set out to help a couple lost on Bynack More.
Earlier, a group of workmates out on the mountain range became disorientated, but team members found them safe and well and pointed them in the right direction to complete their expedition.
