Three people were rescued from a mountain in the Cairngorms after going hill walking, despite snow and freezing temperature warnings.
Braemar Mountain Rescue, along with with assistance from Aberdeen Mountain Rescue and Coastguard Search and Rescue, were called out to The Pools of Dee in the Lairig Ghru area late on Thursday night.
At around 9pm on Thursday evening, the mountain rescue team based in Braemar were alerted that three hill walkers were having difficulties, with initial reports suggesting one was suffering from hypothermia.
A full callout team was mobilised, with Coastguard Search and Rescue providing a helicopter to ferry the crew as close as possible to the incident. Due to the conditions, it could only get them to within 8km, but allowed them to reach the walkers much quicker.
The ground was uneven and visibility poor, making the journey downhill difficult.
(Image: Braemar Mountain Rescue)
Once located, the group were given shelter and assessed by a medical technician. After some effort to warm them, it was agreed they could be walked down with assistance of mountain rescue team members. To reduce the walking distance and time exposed to the elements, two all-terrain vehicles were deployed.
After descending the Lairig Ghru, the walkers and mountain rescue teams reached the vehicles, and drove to Braemar. The incident was complete at 6.30 on Friday morning.
Aberdeen Mountain Rescue shared a video of rapidly-falling snow and strong winds causing poor visibility as the teams assisted the stranded walkers to safety. The Scottish Mountain Rescue service used the footage alongside a warning to anyone planning a mountain expedition to be sensible and consider the conditions.
Pictures shared by the team in Braemar show how heavy the snow is on the ground as they descend the hill with its uneven terrain, wearing high-visibility clothing and head torches due to the darkness and heavy snow likely obscuring their vision.
Conditions were difficult during the overnight rescue.
(Image: Braemar Mountain Rescue)
It comes as Scotland is hit with a blast of cold weather, with temperatures falling as low as 5C overnight amid forecasts of snow and freezing rain.
With temperatures still expected to plunge over the weekend, a Met Office yellow warning for ice is in place across Scotland until at least 10am on Saturday, with icy surfaces potentially leading to difficult travel conditions.
Scottish Mountain Rescue highlighted the ThinkWINTER campaign, a collaboration between several Scots mountaineering organisations and Police Scotland. It provides information and advice on preparation and keeping safe to make the most out of mountain experiences such as hill walking and snow sports.
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