The Carn Mòr Dearg Arête is a scramble ascent route to Ben Nevis. Photo: rasaints CC-BY-SA-3.0

The body of a missing hillwalker has been found on the slopes of Britain’s highest mountain.

Ian Bell failed to return from a walk on Carn Mòr Dearg on Monday and a search was launched.

Police Scotland said: “Search teams including volunteers from the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team made searches of the Carn Mòr Dearg area where the walker was believed to have been.

“Sadly a man’s body was found during the search.”

The body of the 60-year-old from Hertfordshire was found in a gully in Coire Eòghainn.

Police said a formal identification had confirmed the the walker was Mr Bell.

A spokesperson added: “There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances and a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal, as is standard procedure.”

The horseshoe route between Carn Mòr Dearg and Ben Nevis via the Carn Mòr Dearg Arête is a popular scrambling ascent route of the 1,344m (4,409ft) mountain.