Storm Eunice: Father and son stranded for two nights on hills
- Published
The father and son were found at a bothy near Loch Muick on Saturday
A father and son are recovering after spending two nights stranded at a bothy in the Cairngorms after blizzards caused by Storm Eunice.
The man in his 30s and teenage boy were found by Braemar Mountain Rescue Team at the Sheilin' O'Mark bothy, near Loch Muick, on Saturday.
The pair set out walking on Thursday, before the alarm was raised on Friday when they did not return home.
Rescuers dispatched an all-terrain vehicle to bring them back safely.
Inspector Matthew Smith, Police Scotland's mountain rescue co-ordinator, said they were found "cold, tired and exhausted" at the bothy at about 19:00 on Saturday.
"We made the decision that we had to get them out that night, it took some hours due to the weather," he said.
"We deployed the all-terrain vehicle as close as possible, but had to battle out on foot through significant snow before we got to it."
Rescue teams deployed an all-terrain vehicle to bring the hillwalkers home safely
Insp Smith said the pair were both experienced hillwalkers and had told family they were going to the Sheilin' O'Mark bothy.
He said the weather had "caught them out" and snowy conditions meant a search could not be mounted until Saturday.
Insp Smith added: "We knew by their equipment and experience that they were likely to be stranded at the bothy.
"Its not far on a map, but there's very deep snow and significant peat hags - it's a very challenging place to be."
Insp Matthew Smith, Police Scotland mountain rescue co-ordinator, said they were "cold, tired and exhausted"
Although the pair were well-equipped for a day of hiking, Insp Smith said many walkers do not prepare for "the eventuality of something going wrong".
He added: "They hadn't planned enough to know that the storm was coming and what that meant for them.
"But there's a lesson learned and we're not here to judge. We're here to rescue people, that's what we signed up for."
The incident comes after a walker missing in the Cairngorms earlier this month left clues in the snow to help rescuers find him.
The 40-year-old was unable to reach Aviemore due to high winds, and he sought shelter in a mountain bothy.
In January, a missing walker was forced to shelter overnight under a huge boulder in 100mph winds after going missing on a hike to Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms.