Two people charged following rescue from munro in Crianlarich

Published 2nd June 2020

Police Scotland can confirm that two people have been charged in connection with culpable and reckless conduct after needing rescued from a munro on Saturday, 30 May, 2020.

A 27-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal after travelling more than 60 miles from Glasgow to climb Beinn A' Chroin, near Crianlarich. 

Police received a report of a man and woman in difficulty on the munro around 2.40pm on Saturday. Officers and members of Killin Mountain Rescue Team were subsequently deployed to rescue the individuals who had not been suitably equipped for the climb. They were traced safe and well.

Chief Inspector Gill Marshall, Area Commander for Stirling, said:

"The actions of this man and woman and their lack of equipment not only placed themselves at risk of injury, but also the officers and mountain rescue volunteers who were called to assist them.

"The regulations remain that people should only leave the house for very limited purposes, for example for basic necessities, for exercise or recreation, for medical needs or travelling for work which cannot be done from home.

"We recognise that people have made significant sacrifices until now and while the temptation may be to head straight for one of our beauty spots, we would ask people to use their judgement and avoid going to places which are normally busy during the good weather or, in this case, could put individuals' lives at risk. We want people to enjoy our outdoor spaces safely and exercise should be done locally, not exceeding five miles from your home.

"The Chief Constable has made it clear that we are asking 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.

"Our officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance and encourage compliance. We will use enforcement as a last resort only where there is a clear breach of the legislation."

Damon Powell, Chair of Scottish Mountain Rescue, said:

“Scottish Mountain Rescue and the mountain rescue teams it represents have been humbled by the support they have received from the overwhelming majority of the hill going public and would like to thank them again for sticking with the current restrictions. We look forward to welcoming them back to the hills once the guidance enables people to do so safely. 

“We are also aware how deeply frustrating it is when everyone who is making such sacrifices see people openly flouting the guidance. We are pleased to see the police taking action against such individuals.”