By Gary Cooper

A DUNDEE man was airlifted to safety last night after getting stuck on a rocky outcrop in the Angus glens.

The drama was sparked around 4.30pm when the 48-year-old’s cries for help were heard by walkers coming in Glen Doll, at the head of Glen Clova.

The man had been scrambling about rocks around Davie Glen’s Bothy, on Jock’s Road, near Cairn Lunkard, in a bid to take photographs of a waterfall, when he became stuck.

The passers-by who were alerted to his plight then faced a walk of around four miles over rough terrain to raise the alarm by telephone at a farmhouse further down Glen Doll.

Their mercy call prompted seven members of Tayside Police search and rescue unit and six from the civilian-staffed Tayside Mountain Rescue Team to turn out.

As they made their way along twisty roads to the area, a search-and-rescue helicopter from RAF Bulmer in Northumberland was also scrambled and carried out an initial sweep, which failed to locate the stricken walker.

The crew lifted the rescue teams up to the plateau and, as they carried out a search, they heard the man shouting and whistling for help.

They realised the location they had been given was half a kilometre out.

PC Jim Tait, leader of the police team, said the walker was found on a ledge, unable to move.

Rescuers were preparing to lower ropes to him to bring him to the ground when it was decided to winch him off the rocks by helicopter around 9pm.

PC Tait, who debriefed the man, said, “It was a foolish thing to do, heading out to the crag without safety equipment, and he acknowledged that.

“He was in a precarious position and it was difficult to see him, but he was right to stay where he was, as he could not go up or down.

“Fortunately, he suffered no injury, but he was shaken.

“He could have been badly injured had he fallen from the crag and, as no one would have known where he was, it could easily have turned into a fatality.

“The chap was lucky there were still people up on the hill at that time of the day to raise the alarm.”

It is understood the hillwalker had intended spending the night in the bothy.

He and the ground rescuers were flown to the car park at Glen Doll by the helicopter.