The Ptarmigan Ridge, which is still in winter condition. Photo: J Millar/Lomond MRT

A walker has died after falling 1,000ft from a Scottish mountain.

The man fell about 300m from the Ptarmigan ridge on Ben Lomond on Sunday after slipping in winter conditions.

Lomond Mountain Rescue Team was called out shortly after midday on Sunday when the walker fell into Leac na Cailliche, north-west of the 974m (3,196ft) summit of the most southerly munro. He was walking with two friends.

Members of the team were joined by a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter from HMS Gannet in Ayrshire, a Scottish Ambulance Service air ambulance and police staff in the rescue operation.

The Sea King’s crew airlifted the man’s body from the site and shortly afterwards the air ambulance landed on the mountain and flew the two friends to the Lomond MRT search control at Comer Farm.

A Lomond MRT spokesperson said: “A team of six were tasked to recover the casualty’s rucksack and continue to the site of the accident to retrieve other items. Personnel completed their tasking and returned to Search Control at 5.07pm.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with his friends and family.”

The mountain rescue team warned walkers that the mountain tops were still in the grip of winter conditions after the incident. The Lomond team also had to help a walker who was wearing microspikes on his boots who was unable to move on the steep snow-covered slopes of Ben Lomond.

The team spokesperson said: “The arrival of warmer temperatures and longer days have seen a rise in people taking to the hills across the country.

“Lomond Mountain Rescue Team would like to stress that, despite the spring-like conditions at ground level, it is still very much mid-winter high on the hills and it is vital to head out prepared with essential safety equipment and, equally as important, having the mountaineering skills to use them.

“Freeze-thaw conditions and strong winds have compacted exposed snow on the tops into hardened ice and névé. Ice-axe and crampons are still vital to safely negotiate our hills despite the first signs of spring in the glens.

“People heading for the hills should always check the weather forecast. The Mountain Weather Information Service and the Met Office provide in depth-forecasts. Further essential conditions information can be found on the Scottish Avalanche Information Service site and for general advice refer to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.

Police Scotland said there were no suspicious circumstances to the man’s death and the procurator fiscal had been informed.