Caver rescued after getting stuck in Highland cave system

A caver has been rescued after getting stuck in a cave system in the north-west Highlands.

Assynt Mountain Rescue Team, whose volunteers are trained in underground rescues, were called to Allt nan Uamh Stream Cave earlier this week.

The site near Inchnadamph is in an area with a large number of caves, including the Bone Caves where the remains of prehistoric animals have been found in the past.

Assynt MRT said the caver was well equipped and uninjured, but needed help to get back to the surface.

A member of the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation, who happened to be in the area at the time, helped to devise a rescue plan which involved using a flexible ladder and a simple rope system.

Assynt MRT said the caver was safely extracted.

The team said caving in Scotland required specialised preparations due to the cold, wet and often remote locations.

It urged people to check weather forecasts before heading out on a trip, and to never go caving alone.

The Inchnadamph area's system of caves was formed 200,000 years ago before the landscape was changed by the last ice age, which ended about 15,000 years ago.