Coronavirus in Scotland: Climbers fined following rescue mission up Ben Nevis

Two climbers have been fined after they had to be rescued from Scotland’s highest mountain.

The men, who are understood to have travelled more than 100 miles from the Glasgow area to climb Ben Nevis, got into difficulty on Saturday afternoon.

Members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (LMRT) were called to assist in the rescue which involved a helicopter flying the two climbers off the mountain face.

They were trapped in the Minus Two Gully area of the 4,411ft summit.

The Carn Mor Dearg arete connects Ben Nevis with Carn Mor Dearg picture: Shutterstock

A police spokesman confirmed officers were alerted to the rescue at about 4.15pm and both men were issued with fixed penalty notices for breaching coronavirus regulations.

No injuries were reported.

LMRT confirmed a second incident happened on the same day after a rescue mission was launched on Creag Meaghaidh.

It is understood two climbers were stuck on the 3,710ft summit which lies about ten miles northeast of Ben Nevis.

The pair were brought to safety but it has not yet been confirmed whether or not they were breaking the latest Covid rules.

A spokesman from LMRT said: “We thought we were heading for our first ever callout-free January but just like buses, two came along at once last night.

“The first, in Minus Two Gully on Ben Nevis, was swiftly dealt with by Rescue 151.

"The second on Creag Meaghaidh was a little more challenging for the eight team members dropped onto the summit plateau but all in all, a successful rescue with all parties home and safe.

“As climbers and mountaineers ourselves we’re all well aware that things can go wrong and situations can change very quickly.”

The current law in Scotland says that people can only leave home for an essential purpose.

For exercise, residents can meet one other person outdoors for pursuits such as walking or an activity that starts and finishes at the same place, which can be up to five miles (8km) from the boundary of a person's local authority area.

Anyone who is caught travelling outside the boundary will be fined for flouting the current government coronavirus regulations.

There are currently moderate and considerable avalanche warnings in place for Creag Meaghaidh, Glencoe, Lochaber, Northern Cairngorms, Southern Cairngorms and Torridon.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.