The Ring of Steall and Steall Falls. Photo: Boon Low

A walker sparked a major search operation after he failed to tell anyone he had returned safely from a day out in the Highlands.

The man, who has not been named by police, was reported missing after a walk round the Ring of Steall in Glen Nevis on Sunday. While mountain rescue teams were scouring the hills, the man was, unknown to them, safe in the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel.

Rescuers from the Lochaber, Glencoe and RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Teams launched the search on Monday. An RAF Sea King helicopter from Lossiemouth was also sent to the area.

The hunt for the walker, which included Search and Rescue Dogs Association handlers, was wound down when he was found at Fort William railway station, ready to depart the area.

A spokesperson for Northern Constabulary said: “Police advise all walkers in the hills to leave a card of their intended route and the time they expect to return, with police or relatives and then to advise them of their safe return to ensure that no needless searches are carried out.”

• Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was also called to another incident in Glen Nevis on Sunday, after reports a man had fallen into the Water of Nevis.

Police were alerted to the event at 12.20pm. The rescue team was aided in its search of the man, reported to have gone in the water near Steall Falls, by a helicopter from Stornoway Coastguard.

A police spokesperson said: “To date no trace of the man has been found.”