Cairngorms climber lost in blizzard stretchered to safety

A climber was stretchered off a mountain in the Cairngorms after becoming lost in blizzard conditions.

Rescue crews were called out to Coire an t-Sneachda at about 17:30 on Saturday where they found the climber in a boulder field suffering from exhaustion.

They had become separated from their group amid freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall.

The climber was unable to walk so the team carried them down to safety.

The Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) used blizzard blankets and heat pads to wrap the climber up and keep them warm.

They then carried the climber on a stretcher to the team's off-road vehicle in Coire Cas before returning safely to the Cairngorms MRT base by 22:30.

The Cairngorms have seen heavy snowfall and temperatures below freezing throughout December.

Earlier in the month, a climber was injured after getting caught in an avalanche in Coire an t-Sneachda.

He sustained a lower leg injury and was stretchered to safety by the Cairngorms MRT.

In February, six people had to be rescued in the space of a week after getting into difficulty in the mountain range.