The lack of a mobile phone signal in a picturesque Highland gorge where a walker injured his knee meant other members of his party faced a long walk to raise the alarm.
The man, who is believed to be Belgian and in his 30s, was unable to walk after suffering knee problems at the head of Steall Gorge at Glen Nevis in Lochaber yesterday evening.
He had been following the footpath leading to the spectacular Steall Falls at the foot of Ben Nevis.
The waterfall – which is the second highest in Scotland’s with a single drop of almost 400ft – featured in the Harry Potter film Goblet of Fire as the scene of Harry’s battle with a dragon for the Triwizard Tournament.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team leader John Stevenson said they received a call for assistance at about 5.30pm.
He said: “There is no mobile phone signal there so somebody had to walk down Glen Nevis to make the call.
“It then took us about 15-20 minutes to walk in to reach him and about 30 minutes to carry him out on a stretcher.
“We took him to the Belford Hospital in Fort William.”
Mr Stevenson explained that the man was believed to have ruptured a medial ligament and was unable to put any weight on his leg.
The condition of the man, who is understood to have been on the second day of his holiday in Scotland, is not known.