A Lochaber peak was dramatically lit up as a rescue took place in the very early hours of yesterday morning in sub-zero temperatures.
The call was to a 60-year-old man with a suspected dislocated shoulder, after a fall in icy conditions in Glencoe.
Six members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue rescued four walkers at 2,300ft in temperatures of -3C, who had made “an extremely” slow assent of Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe.
It is understood the party had set off at 8.30am on Tuesday morning, but the alarm was not raised by the group of four men until 1.30am on Wednesday morning.
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A police spokesman confirmed: “The alarm was raised by four climbers shortly after 1.30am after one of their party had a fall and suffered a suspected arm/shoulder injury on Crowberry Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor.
“Glencoe MRT and the helicopter Rescue 951 and the party was airlifted to Fort William, with the injured party being taken to hospital.
“They were taken off the hill by 4am.”
The rescue helicopter remained in Fort William until approximately 10.30am at the West End Car Park.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “We were tasked around 1.50am by Police Scotland after they had received information of a casualty on top of the curved Crowberry Ridge.
“The climber, who is believed to have suffered a dislocated shoulder, was in a party of four at the time. The group were well equipped and had been climbing through the night.
“The injury is not thought to be the result of a fall or anything similar.
“Inverness search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 951, was sent, by us, to provide air assistance in transferring the casualty to Fort William, where they were met by members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team and the waiting ambulance.
“The casualty was taken on to hospital in Fort William.
“The fog closed in on us as our team transferred the casualty to the ambulance service around 4am, before clearing and allowing the helicopter to return to base in Inverness at 11am this morning.”
The spokeswoman added that no further helicopters were out on an operation at the time Rescue 951 was grounded in Fort William, therefore cover was not affected.