Sad Times and the unsung Mountain Rescue Teams

We have our neighbour's dogs this weekend. He headed up to Lochnagar on Friday afternoon along with his Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team colleagues to join with Braemar Mountain Rescue in a search for a missing person. They searched late into the night, during which, Braemar Mountain Rescue posted a video of how bad the conditions were. It looked horrendous. They were joined on Saturday by Tayside Mountain Rescue, Police, Inverness Search and Rescue Helicopter team and the National Mountain Rescue Dog Search team members. Our neighbour snatched a few hours sleep then headed out in the wee small hours again on Sunday morning. On Sunday lunch time they recovered the individual who had sadly perished. There will no doubt be debriefings and things to sort out late into this evening for all involved in the mammoth effort.

On Monday morning, the mountain rescue folk, who made up the majority of the 80 strong search party on this occasion - volunteers the lot of them - will head to their day jobs. Exhausted no doubt. And still yet on call, at any moment willing to put themselves at risk for others, for strangers, for our loved ones. Always Hoping for a positive outcome. And when it's sad news, searching to recover people for their loved ones.

Here's to them, the Mountain Rescue folk of Aberdeenshire and Scotland wide.