Tayside Mountain Rescue volunteers responded to 96 callouts in 2023 – the most in the team’s 47-year history.
Leaders say far more people are taking to the hills since the Covid pandemic.
And that’s made their job busier than ever.
The numbers leapt from 56 last year and 57 – the previous high – the year before.
As well as mountain rescues, the Tayside team helped in missing person searches, storm responses and even went to the aid of a crashed glider pilot.
Senior team leader Paul Russell said the pandemic was the reason for the 72% surge in calls between 2022 and 2023.
“It comes down to the fact there are more people going out on the hills,” he said.
“During Covid, when people weren’t able to go abroad, more people holidayed in Scotland and a lot of them took up hillwalking.
“More people out on the hills inevitably leads to more rescues.”
Tayside Mountain Rescue Team in action right up to end of 2023
The Tayside team is made up of 35 volunteers working out of three bases, at Dundee, Aberfeldy and the main site at Blairgowrie.
They work closely with the Police Scotland Mountain Rescue Team, training together and attending callouts together.
Last year involved even more volunteer training hours (5,000) than it did callouts (4,250 hours).
The busiest month was August. But the team was in action right up to the end of 2023, attending two callouts in the Blair Atholl area.
“Some of us were out from 6pm right through to 5am the next morning,” said Paul.
He said one of the more unusual callouts came in November when Tayside volunteers went to assist colleagues in the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team after a glider crashed in Kinross-shire.
A man was airlifted to hospital after the glider – from the Scottish Gliding Centre at Portmoak Airfield in Scotlandwell – colliding with the side of Bishop Hill near Kinnesswood.
Volunteers rely on public support
It costs around £60,000 to £70,000 to provide the service and the Tayside team depends on donations.
Members carry out their own fundraising. But Paul said they were also fortunate to be able to count on the support of the public.
Recent local efforts included an £870 donation from the Cow and Parrot coffee store in Aberfeldy.
The owners and staff opened on Christmas day and donated all of their profits to the team.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Tayside Mountain Rescue Team can do so here.
Conversation