The four fell into Coire Eòghainn. Photo: Blisco CC-BY-SA-3.0

Four walkers were rescued after falling from Britain’s highest mountain when they strayed on to steep ground in a whiteout.

The men fell about 130ft into a corrie on Ben Nevis that has been the scene of two recent rescues.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team joked that they would have to put a fence around the rim of Coire Eòghainn to stop people falling into it.

The four men reached the 1,344m (4,409ft) summit of the mountain about 8am today but strayed from the tourist path when making their descent in a blizzard.

A Lochaber MRT spokesperson said: “Contouring around the rim of Coire Eòghainn they slipped and fell about 40m. One of the party then fell further – probably same location as the rescue on 26 February.

“The others then lost footing and fell along same line. The first casualty managed the make his way down to Glen Nevis where he was picked up by a member of public and taken to Belford [Hospital].”

Lochaber team members made their way to the corrie and a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter from HMS Gannet in Ayrshire made its way to the scene in difficult flying conditions. The rescuers met the other three men walking down. The spokesperson said their injuries were not serious and they were not likely to be kept in hospital overnight.

The team thanked the Royal Navy crew and RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team which was put on alert but not needed.

Coire Eòghainn was the scene of a major rescue of four men in high avalanche risk conditions last month which brought stinging criticism of the walkers for not following rescuers instructions, resulting in team members’ lives being ‘put on the line’.

And on Thursday, a lone walker was airlifted from the corrie, on the southern flanks of Ben Nevis, after spending the night in the emergency shelter on the mountain’s summit.