An RAF Leuchars MRT squad prepares for action in 2001. Photo: Iain Lees CC-BY-SA-2.0

An RAF mountain rescue team will be disbanded at the end of the year as part of the coalition Government’s reorganisation of the armed forces.

Leuchars Mountain Rescue Team will stop operating by December this year, as all the base’s RAF staff are being transferred to Lossiemouth in Moray.

The news was confirmed to North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell by armed forces minister Andrew Robathan. Leuchars will become an Army base under the plans.

The move will cut from four to three the number of RAF mountain rescue teams in the UK: at Valley in Anglesey, Leeming in North Yorkshire and Lossiemouth.

Sir Menzies told the Courier newspaper: “I’m extremely disappointed by the news that the Leuchars MRT is to be disbanded.

“It has a long and distinguished record of rescuing both service personnel and civilians in the sometimes treacherous conditions of the Scottish Highlands.

“Mountain rescue has been a significant contribution by the military to the civilian population and many people owe their survival to the efforts of the Leuchars team.”

Mr Robathan said from the end of this month, the Leuchars team’s role will reduce to supporting other RAF MRTs with personnel or equipment.

The RAF’s mountain rescue teams were formed during the Second World War to go to the aid of aircraft crash survivors.

Although this remains their primary role, most of their work is in the rescue of civilian casualties on the UK’s uplands.

RAF personnel volunteer for mountain rescue team duty and are required to undertake at least two weekends’ training each month.

Apart from some Police Scotland mountain rescue teams, all other teams in the UK are unpaid volunteers.