The view of the rescue scene on Sgùrr Dhomhnuill from the Royal Navy Sea King. Photo: Royal Navy

The view of the rescue scene on Sgùrr Dhomhnuill from the Royal Navy Sea King. Photo: Royal Navy

A walker was airlifted from a remote Ardgour mountain after injuring his leg.

The crew of a Royal Navy Sea King search and helicopter winched the man aboard from Sgùrr Dhomhnuill, a 888m (2,913ft) corbett about 10km (6 miles) north-east of Strontian yesterday.

The walker was with a group of friends on the ridge close to the mountain’s summit when he injured himself.

Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team was also called out, but the Sea King was with the stricken walker about half an hour after being diverted from a routing training flight on Arran about 2.05pm.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said conditions on the mountain were good, with Scotland’s west coast finally basking in and sunshine under clear skies after months of rain and high winds; but the temperature at that height still remained low with snow on the ground.

Lieutenant Commander Andy Drodge, HMS Gannet’s commanding officer and duty observer, said: “There was nothing particularly challenging in terms of weather or ground conditions for this rescue, although there was still plenty of snow around.

“In fact, you could say it was textbook stuff.

“We had good location information to work with and we didn’t have to search for very long before we found him. I put our aircrewman, who is also qualified as an ambulance technician, Petty Officer Mike ‘H’ Henson, out on the wire and winched him directly to the casualty.

A close up of the rescue scene, with the Royal Navy winchman treating the walker on the lower edge of the snow

A close up of the rescue scene, with the Royal Navy winchman treating the walker on the lower edge of the snow

“H was able to stabilise the man’s injured leg and we got them both back on board the aircraft.

“We delivered the man to Fort William for hospital treatment before refuelling and returning to Prestwick.

“Our immediate concern was to make the job a quick one. The sunny skies belie the chilly temperature at this time of the year, particularly as soon as you add any kind of altitude into the equation and, of course, the snow.

“The walker, who was an older gentleman, was in pain and obviously we did not want that to be compounded with even the early signs of hypothermia.”

The Royal Navy said the Ayrshire-based helicopter was flying near the northern and western limit of its normal operating area.

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