An injured walker has been rescued from an isolated hill in the Southern Uplands.
The alarm was raised at 5pm on Saturday January 21 when Moffat Mountain Rescue were alerted to a walker having hurt themselves on Tinto Hill, situated just off the A73 near Lanark, South Lanarkshire.
Scottish Ambulance Service had also been made aware of the dramatic event and had dispatched a number of paramedics as well as an SAS incident control unit to the car park while rescue teams made their way to the site.
Luckily, the crew were carrying out first aid training at the Moffat base at the time of the call and were able to mount a quick response, sending two team vehicles and eight team members up the hill to assist the victim.
With paramedics already on scene, a local farmer with a quad bike helped them make their way up the hill to reach the rambler, despite poor weather conditions including strong winds and ice wreaking havoc with the mission.
In spite of the difficulty, members soldiered on and eventually reached the casualty, who had been administered pain relief by paramedics, and immediately sheltered them from the elements to prevent hypothermia.
Photos taken at the scene, which were shared online, show workers decked out in hard-hits, high-vis jackets, waterproof clothing and plied with safety gear hauling the individual down the steep, snowy terrain.
Images also show the stricken adventurer packed into a warm cas bag and stretcher, where they were carried with the aid of a back rope to a waiting coastguard helicopter who flew them down to the car park.
They were then rushed to hospital. The details and current condition of the walker remains unclear.
After a gruelling three and a half hours of work, the team were stood down at 8.30pm.
A spokesperson for Moffat MRT said: "The team’s ascent on foot was made significantly more difficult by the conditions on the hill so it was definitely a challenging evening for the team and all involved.
"If you’re in need of help on the hills, dial 999 and ask for police, then Mountain Rescue.
"Now to get back to our weekend team training!"
Tinto Hill has a peak of 707 metres, making it the highest point in central Scotland.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
