Cairngorms Rescue Successful

Update The BBC is now reporting that the four men have been rescued and that three of them were well enough to walk off the mountain unaided. Great news.

The BBC and the Scotsman are reporting that a mountain rescue operation has been launched to rescue four people stranded on Ben Macdui in blizzard conditions.

The partly, reportedly from Dundee, apparently contacted the police by mobile phone to say that they needed help and four rescue teams plus an RAF helicopter, which is unable to fly because of severe weather conditions, are involved in the operation.

The Scotsman reports that the hillwalkers are sheltering in their sleeping bags inside a tent on the mountain, but that rescuers are unsure of their precise location.

With this just the start of a forecasted spell of particularly savage weather, it's a timely reminder of the dangers of taking to the hills in bad conditions.

More from news.scotsman.com and news.bbc.co.uk