Glencoe hiker deaths – latest: Bodies found after three go missing near Aonach Eagach Ridge

Three hikers have been found dead in Glencoe, after failing to return from the “narrowest” mountain ridge on mainland Britain.

The hillwalkers were reported missing shortly after 9pm on Saturday, with a Coastguard helicopter assisting Police Scotland, the RAF and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team in searching the Aonach Eagach ridge.

Their bodies were discovered shortly after the rescue mission began in the Scottish Highlands, and police said their deaths do not appear to be suspicious.

The ridge is “probably the trickiest scrambling on any” route listed on WalkHighlands, the website says, describing it as “hard, exposed” terrain linking the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgòrr nam Fiannaidh, which have summits reaching 952m and 967m above sea level respectively.

Police said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.

“A search was carried out and the bodies of three people were found. HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation.”

Key Points

• Full report: Three hikers found dead in Glencoe

• RAF and Coastguard join search for missing hikers

• Mountain ridge is ‘narrowest’ on British mainland

• Deaths do not appear to be suspicious, police say

Highland councillor reacts to news

10:25 , William Mata

Angus MacDonald, a local Highland councillor, has reacted to the news - having grown up in Clachaig Inn, below the ridge

"This is a tragedy for those who died and their families,” he told the BBC.

“I know everyone in the area will feel for them."

Deaths are not suspicious

08:58 , William Mata

No names of the walkers have been released by Scottish police with the circumstances said not to be suspicious.

On Tuesday morning, the force said they had nothing to add to their statement.

This said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.

“A search was carried out and the bodies of three people were found. HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation.”

Mountain ridge ‘is one of most exposed and narrow in UK’

07:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A mental health and outdoors campaigner has described Aonach Eagach as “one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK”, as he reacted to the “desperately sad” news.

“Thoughts with their friends and families, and with the mountain rescue team which found them,” Ross Cunningham, editor of the Mountains Mend Minds documentary project, wrote on social media.

“Aonach Eagach is popular but it’s also one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK, particularly among the mainland summits. Such a tragic incident.”

Kate Forbes describes hillwalkers’ deaths as ‘horrendous news’

06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Kate Forbes, the Scottish National party MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, described the deaths as “horrendous news”. She said: “My thoughts are with the families. My sincere appreciation to mountain rescue, as always, and the emergency services.”

The hikers’ identities have not been revealed by the police.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.

Aonach Eagach ridge is known as the ‘narrowest ridge on the British Mainland’

06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Aonach Eagach ridge spans nearly six miles from east to west and features two Munro summits, Sgùrr nam Fiannaidh at 3,175 feet and Meall Dearg at 3,124 feet, both exceeding 3,000 feet in height.

Scottish Daily Express reported that the terrain in this area is predominantly rocky, necessitating scrambling skills for traversing the route.

The slopes flanking the ridge on either side are treacherous, characterised by steep grass-and-scree inclines that obscure even steeper gradients.

These slopes culminate in cliffs along the northern and southern edges of the ridge, posing significant hazards.

According to the Walkhighlands website, the Aonach Eagach ridge is renowned as the “narrowest ridge on the British Mainland”.

WiredForAdventure magazine characterizes it by stating, “Certain sections of this trail might lead hikers to consider employing a rope for added safety. However, it’s the dramatic precipices and nerve-tingling exposure that contribute to its distinction as one of the most spine-chilling hikes globally.”

Tragically, the Aonach Eagach ridge has claimed the lives of seven individuals since 2014.

In September of the previous year, a 36-year-old male climber lost his life due to a fall exceeding 650 feet on the mountain.

Police enlisted help of coastguard due to inaccessible conditions

05:45 , Andy Gregory

The Coastguard are said to have been called out some time after police were alerted on Saturday.

HM Coastguard said they were alerted to the incident at 10.50pm and a Coastguard helicopter proceeded to assist the police in searching the Aonach Eagach ridge.

A police spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.”

Police Scotland called out the coastguard due to the inaccessibility of the area and the Inverness search and rescue helicopter was despatched and carried out a search in difficult weather conditions, with low visibility caused by mist and fog.

The bodies were located and the Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick returned in daylight to assist mountain rescuers with recovering the bodies.

ICYMI: ‘There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances'

05:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday, 5 August.

“A search was carried out and the bodies of three people were found.”

He added: “HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation. There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Mountain ridge ‘is one of most exposed and narrow in UK’

04:45 , Andy Gregory

A mental health and outdoors campaigner has described Aonach Eagach as “one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK”, as he reacted to the “desperately sad” news.

“Thoughts with their friends and families, and with the mountain rescue team which found them,” Ross Cunningham, editor of the Mountains Mend Minds documentary project, wrote on social media.

“Aonach Eagach is popular but it’s also one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK, particularly among the mainland summits. Such a tragic incident.”

Full report: Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

04:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Three hikers have been found dead on a mountain ridge in Scotland after they failed to return from their walk.

Emergency services were called to the Aonach Eagach Ridge in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday after the group were reported missing shortly after 9pm.

Police Scotland, HM Coastguard, the RAF and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team took part in the recovery operation. However, their bodies were tragically discovered shortly after the rescue mission began.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full report here:

Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

Police statement in full

03:46 , Andy Gregory

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday August 5.

“A search was carried out and the bodies of three people were found. HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation.

“There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

Monday 7 August 2023 21:59 , Andy Gregory

We’re pausing live updates on the blog for this evening, thanks for following here.

My colleagues will be back in the morning to bring you any further developments.

You can keep scrolling to read back through our coverage below:

Full report: Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

Monday 7 August 2023 21:43 , Andy Gregory

Three hikers have been found dead on a mountain ridge in Scotland after they failed to return from their walk.

Emergency services were called to the Aonach Eagach Ridge in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday after the group were reported missing shortly after 9pm.

Police Scotland, HM Coastguard, the RAF and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team took part in the recovery operation. However, their bodies were tragically discovered shortly after the rescue mission began.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full report here:

Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

Police enlisted help of coastguard due to inaccessible conditions

Monday 7 August 2023 20:16 , Andy Gregory

The Coastguard are said to have been called out some time after police were alerted on Saturday.

HM Coastguard said they were alerted to the incident at 10.50pm and a Coastguard helicopter proceeded to assist the police in searching the Aonach Eagach ridge.

A police spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday 5 August.”

Police Scotland called out the coastguard due to the inaccessibility of the area and the Inverness search and rescue helicopter was despatched and carried out a search in difficult weather conditions, with low visibility caused by mist and fog.

The bodies were located and the Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick returned in daylight to assist mountain rescuers with recovering the bodies.

Mapped: Where is the Aonach Eagach ridge?

Monday 7 August 2023 19:41 , Andy Gregory

The six-mile Aonach Eagach ridge runs along the north of Glencoe, and links the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgòrr nam Fiannaidh, which have summits reaching 952m and 967m above sea level respectively.

Ridge ‘probably trickiest scrambling’ on any Walkhighlands route

Monday 7 August 2023 19:02 , Andy Gregory

The Walkhighlands website says the Aonach Eagach ridge is “probably the trickiest scrambling on any Walkhighlands route.

“Ensure you have the necessary skills and experience, choose a dry day (the rocks are slippery when wet) and leave plenty of time to complete the route in daylight. If in any doubt, it is best to hire a guide.”

Scrambling refers to terrain which requires walkers to also use their hands to traverse it.

Police statement in full

Monday 7 August 2023 18:44 , Andy Gregory

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of concern for a group of three hillwalkers who had not returned from the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe shortly after 9.05pm on Saturday August 5.

“A search was carried out and the bodies of three people were found. HM Coastguard as well as Glencoe and RAF mountain rescue teams assisted with the recovery operation.

“There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

Search hindered by mist and fog, police say

Monday 7 August 2023 18:29 , Andy Gregory

Police Scotland called out the Coastguard at 9.40pm due to the inaccessibility of the area and the Inverness search and rescue helicopter was despatched and carried out a search in difficult weather conditions, with low visibility caused by mist and fog.

The bodies were located and the Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick returned in daylight to assist mountain rescuers with recovering the bodies.

Mountain ridge ‘is one of most exposed and narrow in UK'

Monday 7 August 2023 18:12 , Andy Gregory

A mental health and outdoors campaigner has described Aonach Eagach as “one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK”, as he reacted to the “desperately sad” news.

“Thoughts with their friends and families, and with the mountain rescue team which found them,” Ross Cunningham, editor of the Mountains Mend Minds documentary project, wrote on social media.

“Aonach Eagach is popular but it’s also one of the most exposed and narrow mountain routes in the UK, particularly among the mainland summits. Such a tragic incident.”

MSP expresses ‘sincere appreciation’ to mountain rescue teams

Monday 7 August 2023 17:56 , Andy Gregory

Kate Forbes, the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, described the three deaths as “horrendous news”.

“My thoughts are with the families,” said the SNP politician. “My sincere appreciation to mountain rescue, as always, and the emergency services.”

Multiple deaths reported on Aonach Eagach Ridge in recent years

Monday 7 August 2023 17:44 , Andy Gregory

There have been several deaths and injuries on the Aonach Eagach Ridge in recent years.

Last September, a 36-year-old man died after falling some 200 metres from close to the top of the ridge after a rock he was gripping to gave way, according to the local Press and Journal newspaper.

Just a few days prior, the body of a 57-year-old man reported missing from Dundee 12 months earlier was found in a gully near the ridge, the paper reports.

Aonach Eagach: The ‘narrowest’ mountain ridge on mainland Britain

Monday 7 August 2023 17:33 , Andy Gregory

The ridge close to where the bodies of the three hikers were found is believed to be the narrowest mountain ridge in mainland Britain.

The ridge is “probably the trickiest scrambling on any” route listed on WalkHighlands, the website says, describing it as “hard, exposed” terrain linking the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgòrr nam Fiannaidh, which have summits reaching 952m and 967m above sea level respectively.

The six-mile ridge, which spans much of Glencoe, is said to be something of a rite of passage for mountaineers.

Video report: Three hikers found dead in Glencoe

Monday 7 August 2023 17:24 , Andy Gregory

Expert reacts to ‘horrendous’ incident in Scottish Highlands

Monday 7 August 2023 17:16 , Andy Gregory

An expert on the phenomenon of snow patches on Scottish mountains has reacted to the “horrendous” news of the three deaths.

“This is really, really sad,” said Iain Cameron, author of The Vanishing Ice.

“Three hillwalkers on the Aonach Eagach found dead after failing to return yesterday. It’s a narrow ridge for sure, and folk have died on it before, but three in one incident? Horrendous.”

Full report: Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

Monday 7 August 2023 16:57 , Andy Gregory

Three hikers have been found dead on a mountain ridge in Scotland after they failed to return from their walk.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the full report:

Three hikers found dead on mountain ridge in Scotland

Multi-agency search launched after three go missing

Monday 7 August 2023 16:57 , Andy Gregory

Various emergency services were called to the Aonach Eagach Ridge in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday after the group were reported missing shortly after 9pm.

Police Scotland, HM Coastguard, the RAF and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team took part in the recovery operation.

HM Coastguard said they were alerted to the incident at 10.50pm and a Coastguard helicopter proceeded to assist the police in searching the Aonach Eagach ridge.

Deaths do not appear suspicious, say police

Monday 7 August 2023 16:55 , Andy Gregory

The deaths of the three hillwalkers do not appear to be suspicious, Police Scotland said.

“There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances,” the force said in a statement. “A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Three bodies found in Glencoe after hikers go missing near Aonach Eagach ridge

Monday 7 August 2023 16:54 , Andy Gregory

We’ll be using this blog to provide updates on the situation after three climbers were found dead in Glencoe.

They were reported missing on Saturday night after failing to return from an expedition to Aonach Eagach, known as the narrowest mountain ridge on the British mainland.

However, their bodies were tragically discovered shortly after the rescue mission began.