Scottish mountain rescue team called out a record 200 times this year

Scotland's busiest mountain rescue team has broken its record for the number of call-outs it gets in a year.

Four incidents at the weekend pushed Fort William-based Lochaber MRT to more than 200 for 2026 so far.

The rescues included a missing person, an injured mountain biker and a group of hillwalkers unable to navigate off the summit of Ben Nevis - Britain's highest mountain - in the dark.

The team, which attended 160 call-outs for the whole of last year, said more people were heading into the hills, with some poorly equipped or ill-prepared for difficult conditions.

Deputy leader John Hepburn told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast that Lochaber, like other Scottish teams, had experienced a year-on-year rise in rescues.

He said more than 200 call-outs was not something the team celebrated.

"There are quiet a few factors that are causing this we think, but not anything in particular," said Hepburn.

"Groups and individuals are going out that are poorly equipped. More people are accessing the hills, which must be one of the things that is causing it."

Hepburn urged people to make a "good plan" for their day, check weather forecasts and wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

He said walkers should also pack extra layers or clothing in rucksacks, and take a torch due to the change to fewer hours of daylight.

"Also a group shelter to keep themselves safe when things go wrong," he added.

Hepburn said people did not intentionally head out into the hills to have a "bad day" or be rescued, but he said the posting of mountain routes to social media had led people to be more adventurous.

He said popular routes included the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arete, a narrow ridge, which requires scrambling - using hands and feet to get over rocky terrain.

Lochaber MRT has almost 50 volunteers and between 10 and 25 attend rescues.

Other Scottish teams have warned of rising numbers of call-outs.

In August, Skye Mountain Rescue Team went to the aid of 20 people in a 13-hour period on the popular Skye Trail.

The call-outs occurred on a day when the weather, which had been forecast, was "particularly poor" but "not exceptional".

Last month, the team said people were still getting themselves into difficulty.

A spokesperson said: "The interesting thing is that a lot of the people we're helping aren't badly equipped or completely unprepared - in fact, many were already aware of our recent rescue efforts on the trail.

"They've often done their research, have experience elsewhere and have decent kit.

"What they sometimes don't have is much experience of Scottish mountain conditions. Skye weather can be relentless."