Rescue teams have a busy day as Scots head out to enjoy the sun

A FAMILY with a three-year-old child have been rescued by lifeboat after getting into difficulty in a canoe around the Applecross peninsula.

The volunteer Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI team received an urgent message at around 12.30pm on Friday as winds and waves picked up in the area.

The canoe had been out with two kayaks, but they lost sight of each other in the choppy conditions and called for help.

It came on a busy day for rescue teams with Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) dealing with three incidents in 12 hours, including the rescue of three walkers dressed in shorts, t shirts and sandals who got lost overnight on Ben Macdui.

3 incidents in 12 hours for CMRT. Head injury at Ben Alder, dislocated knee on Cairngorm and 3 walkers in shorts, t shirts and sandals lost overnight on the Plateau. All resolved by CMRT and Rescue 951. Bank Holiday and sun, great stuff!

— Cairngorm MRT (@cairngorm_mrt) May 26, 2018

CMRT said the group had become disoriented in the dark and mist and did not have a map, compass or torch. All were found safe and well and a coastguard helicopter took them off the mountain.

In Applecross, the lifeboat crew found the family of two adults and the young girl had safely made it to shore and were sheltering from the swell.

Two crew members went ashore and when it was established everyone was safe and well, the crew returned them to Toscaig where the group had set off from.

A Kyle of Lochalsh lifeboat spokesman said: “The family group consisted of five people in kayaks and a canoe. They were well prepared and set off from Toscaig in good weather, however the conditions soon worsened.

“The two kayaks lost sight of the canoe in the choppy conditions, and they did the correct thing by alerting the emergency services.”