A major rescue operation was launched to save a pair of Scots ‘covidiots’ who breached travel restrictions to climb a munro.
The two men travelled more than 40 miles to hike up Buachaille Etive Mor, near Glencoe, on Hogmanay from their homes in Oban.
While coming back down the mountain, one of the men suffered a leg injury and was forced to call the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team for help as darkness began to fall.
During the twilight mission, which involved 25 volunteers, one of the rescuers was also hurt and is currently undergoing medical assessment.
The injured Argyll and Bute climber was taken to hospital by land ambulance.
Police Scotland have now confirmed that the two men, aged 21 and 27, have both been issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Inspector Kevin Macleod from Highlands & Islands Police Division said: “The men had travelled from Oban to hike this route, and found themselves in difficulty as the light was fading at 3.25pm when police and MRT were called.
“The rescue took a total of 108 man hours and the team stood down at 7.30pm. Both men, aged 21 and 27, were issued with fixed penalty notices for breaching travel regulations.
"We continue to ask people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to protect the NHS and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading."
Andy Neilson, Team Leader from Glencoe Mountain Rescue added: “We will always continue to provide the vital MRT service that we are committed to, however, the volunteers assisting the men did feel vulnerable due to the inevitable close contact required and we have to prioritise the health of our members in order to continue to provide this vital service."
