Two of the three people who died after an avalanche in the Highlands were RAF personnel with one a squadron leader the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
Rimon Than (33), who was based at RAF Valley, North Wales, was killed in the incident in the Cairngorms.
The avalanche struck as two groups of six climbers made their way up opposite sides of a gorge.
The three were airlifted from the Chalamain Gap area of the Cairngorms to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary shortly after 12.30pm on Thursday.
A man and a woman died last night and another man died in the early hours of this morning, Northern Constabulary said.
An MoD spokesman said: “MoD can confirm that two RAF personnel were killed following an avalanche in the Cairngorms yesterday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives. Next of kin have been informed.
“We would ask the media to respect the privacy of the families concerned at this difficult time.”
Police, Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, search and rescue dogs, RAF Lossiemouth’s rescue team and a helicopter were involved in the operation.
Two parties of six were on the mountain when the avalanche struck, with nine people able to walk off unhurt.
The First Minister earlier expressed his sadness at the latest fatal incident in the Highlands.
Alex Salmond said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of those who have sadly been killed in this tragic accident. I’d also like to thank all those involved in the rescue effort and the medical staff who are treating the injured.
“This is another stark and tragic reminder of the dangers on our mountains. They are one of the most beautiful places on Earth but they can also be inherently dangerous with treacherous and changeable conditions.”
David Rutledge, the training officer for Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, said: “We started mobilising within 15 minutes of the call coming through.
“We had a helicopter here incredibly quickly. We had three doctors available straight away who were able to get to the scene.
“This was a fairly contained scenario. We were able to deal with an incident which was relatively close to the roadside, within 2km of the ski road and in a very contained area.
“From that perspective, no search was necessary. The key aspect to this was to get people there as quickly as possible.”
Two helicopters from RAF Lossiemouth, Rescue 137 and 138, were involved in the operation, he said.
“Conditions today were quite clear, which was ideal for flying. Snow conditions would have been affected massively by the weather we’ve had over the last few days, but significantly temperatures were increasing throughout the day and that will have had an effect on what was going on.
“Wind speeds were quite high this morning and all of those things have a contributing factor to the snow conditions.”
It is the third serious avalanche in Scotland this year. Doctor Rachel Majumdar, PhD students Tom Chesters and Christopher Bell and junior doctor Una Finnegan, all in their 20s, died after they were caught up in an avalanche in Glencoe on January 19.
Two weeks ago three men survived being swept 150 metres by snow in the Coire an t-Sneachda area of the Cairngorms. The men, who were wearing helmets, were airlifted to hospital with one man suffering broken ankles.
Other accidents in the region have caused further fatalities. Earlier this week, a hillwalker died during an expedition with a mountaineering club in the Cairngorms.
Graham Connell (31) from Castleford, West Yorkshire, was found dead in the Jacob’s Ladder area on Monday, following a large-scale search for him and five other people who were reported overdue on Sunday afternoon.
The other members in the party, who were unhurt, were picked up by an RAF rescue helicopter after being located by Braemar Mountain Rescue Team on a hill near Carn Tarsuinn.
The search, co-ordinated by Northern Constabulary and Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, involved more than 100 people.
The walkers were part of a larger group of 35 people visiting the Highlands.Police urge cautionCentral Scotland Police have urged anyone planning a climb or hike to “carefully consider their actions”, following another rescue operation in a different mountain region.
A Royal Navy helicopter was dispatched to Ben More, near Crianlarich, around 4.20pm on Thursday when a couple contacted police to say they were stranded.
The helicopter was unable to reach them due to extreme weather in the area but Killin Mountain Rescue Team found them at about 9.15pm.
A 25-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, from Lancashire, were uninjured.
A police spokesman said: “There have been several serious incidents in the Scottish mountains over recent days and weeks.
“We would urge anyone considering visiting the mountains to carefully consider their actions, ensure they are properly equipped, experienced and aware of what to do in the event of difficulties.”