Injured climber taken to hospital

An injured climber was airlifted to hospital after a 12-hour rescue operation in the Cairngorms at the weekend.

A total of 31 members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, assisted by members of the Braemar and Aberdeen rescue teams, took part in the operation after the man fell on Shelterstone Crag.

He landed on a small ledge 500ft up after the accident, which happened around 5.30pm on Saturday.

A team doctor looked after the injured climber on the ledge until the rescue teams managed to lower him down to the base of the crag.

He was then airlifted to hospital by a Coastguard search and rescue helicopter. His condition is not known.

A Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team spokesman said: “After a complex, technical rescue, the casualty was lowered to the coire floor and carried to a landing site.”

The operation finished around 1am and the teams then had to face the long trudge back across the Cairngorms at night carrying large sacks of rescue equipment.

It has been a busy time for the team – this was their seventh rescue in as many days.

Last week, a climber was airlifted from a ledge at Lurcher’s Crag.

Climbers were also injured by rockfall in separate incidents at Fingers Ridge and Pygmy Ridge and the team set out to help a couple lost on Bynack More.

Earlier, a group of workmates out on the mountain range became disoriented, but team members found them safe and well and pointed them in the right direction to complete their expedition.

“The casualty was lowered to the coire floor”