A MAN stranded halfway up cliffs near Stonehaven was plucked to safety in a joint rescue operation at the weekend.

Firefighters, coastguards and lifeboat personnel were scrambled around 9pm on Saturday after the 20-year-old became stuck close to the Black Hill war memorial, near Dunnottar Castle.

He is understood to have been making his way back up the rocks after a family outing at the beach below when he was unable to climb any further.

The man’s younger brother, who was in the party, contacted Grampian Fire and Rescue asking for help, reporting he was 50 metres up the steep embankment.

A crew from Stonehaven was sent to the scene and was joined by Coastguard teams from the town and Gourdon, who had been alerted by fire controllers.

A high-powered vessel from the Maritime Rescue Institute at Stonehaven also attended the incident.

The land-based personnel rigged up a line and used it to lower the Aberdeen man to the safety of the beach, where he was put on board the rescue craft.

He was taken by sea to Stonehaven harbour, where a waiting ambulance crew gave him a precautionary check-up.

Rescue teams stood down soon after, with firefighters returning to their station at 10.30 pm.