Scottish Mountain Rescue Funding Bonus

Mr McConnell acknowledged the importance of Scottish mountains both to Scots and as a draw for foreign tourism and he praised the role of the rescue services in improving mountain safety, adding that it was "only right that we support them”. The £300,000 increase is over and above the £300,000 the Scottish Executive already promised back in March as a one-off cash injection to overhaul Mountain Rescue’s radio systems. McConnell explained the size of the increase by pointing out that over the years equipment has become more expensive and fundraising more difficult.

"This new money will make sure that teams across Scotland will be better trained, have access to better equipment and will be better served to carry on the incredible work that they do." He said on Monday. The First Minister also took the opportunity to announce that funding will be made available to upgrade the existing role of Mountain Safety Adviser to a full-time position.

Responsibility for dividing the Executive’s funding between all Scottish mountain rescue teams will fall to the police who will allocate funds according to each team's geographical coverage and workload.

While welcoming the significant funding raise, the Chairman of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland (MRCS), Nick Forwood, appealed for continuing public support, saying, “we still remain voluntary organisations and as such continue to depend on support from the public. As we move into another winter season the vital role that our volunteers play becomes increasingly apparent."