Tayside Police said hillwalkers should be prepared for winter conditions

Police in the Highlands are appealing to hillgoers to make sure they are prepared for the mountain conditions as winter approaches.

Tayside Police said many calls for help from walkers and mountaineers are the result of that a lack of preparation, complacency, or inexperience.

The force, which has its own search and rescue unit and works with mountain rescuers, said even in fine autumn and winter weather, anyone venturing out into the hills must be aware of the changeable weather conditions and ensure they have the necessary skills to cope and be safe.

In the past year Tayside Police Search and Rescue Unit and the Tayside Mountain Rescue Team, supported by other partners, have responded to dozens of incidents in the region, they said. “In too many instances, it is apparent that a lack of preparation, complacency, or inexperience that has led people into difficulty,” a spokesperson added.

“Most recently they went to the assistance of a climber who was poorly equipped for his outing and neglected to take a compass or a map on his route into the hills of Perth and Kinross.”

Hillwalkers need to be well equipped, well prepared and well aware of weather conditions if they intend to take to the region’s higher terrains during the winter months, the police said.

The spokesperson said: “With temperatures set to drop, weather conditions likely to worsen and memories still fresh of 2010’s harsh winter, hillwalkers must take every precaution to try to ensure that they do not put themselves or anyone else in peril.”

Tayside Police said hillwalkers should:

• Be prepared: be aware of the weather forecast, of avalanche risk and be generally prepared for the often unpredictable extremes of weather that affect Tayside’s mountain environment. Be equipped and have sufficient and appropriate basic equipment. Tell a relative or friend where you are going and your expected time of return.
• Have the necessary skills: invest time in learning hillcraft and navigation skills. Practise these and be aware of your position at all times to be able to travel safely through mountainous terrain. Anyone equipped with a GPS should also carry a map and compass of the area as their primary navigation tool, and be able to use them.
• Enjoy the experience: the hills and mountainous areas of Perthshire and Angus are certainly spectacular and a privilege to experience at first hand, they said. They are there to be enjoyed, but anyone embarking on a hillwalk or climb must do so in such a way that they do not jeopardise their safety or the safety of others.