Student named as Ben Nevis fall victim

THE first climber to be killed on Scotland's mountains this winter has been named as Daniel Rafferty, 19, a student from Alness in Ross-shire.

He died on Sunday as he was climbing Ben Nevis. He plunged 800ft to his death when he fell into Tower Gulley near the summit of the 4,406ft mountain.

A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said: "Police received a 999 call from a member of a climbing party reporting that a male colleague had fallen."

Meanwhile, daily avalanche hazard forecasts for five of Scotland's most popular mountain locations are to resume from Thursday.

The SportScotland Avalanche Information Service covers Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh and the south and north Cairngorms.