A skier has died after falling on a 4,000ft mountain near Ben Nevis in Scotland. 

The man, believed to be in his 60s, was skiing on Aonach Mor when he fell on Tuesday, suffering serious injuries. 

He was airlifted to hospital by a coastguard search and rescue helicopter, but died the next day. 

Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. 

Rescuers today issued a warning to mountaineers, saying they had been called out to aid hill walkers in the same area who got into trouble in icy conditions. 

Last Saturday afternoon, Police Scotland Tayside Mountain Rescue officers and the volunteers of Tayside Mountain Rescue Team attended three separate incidents on the steep slopes of Corrie Kilbo in Glen Doll.

In total ten people – and two greyhounds – were rescued from the same spot, 2500ft up, within two hours. One of the callouts involved six people.

The calls received were almost identical in nature and involved groups of walkers who had been taking in the popular Munros ‘Mayar’ and ‘Driesh’. They then got into difficulty on descents while negotiating the ‘Kilbo Path’.

Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain in the British Isles, and measures over 4,000ft in height

Constable Paul Morgan, Tayside’s Police MRT Leader, who helped with the rescue gave some insight into the conditions. 

Constable Morgan said: ‘On the first occasion I headed up the Kilbo Path to reach those in difficulty, I found the underfoot conditions absolutely dictated my use of ice axe and crampons, right from the very bottom of the ascent right up to where the walkers were stuck at the top. 

‘Given the Kilbo Path dissects the steep corrie wall at angles of up to 60 degrees, a slip at any stage on the snow and ice slope would result in a person taking off into the Corrie over 150metres below. 

‘In such winter conditions, the usual summer path is non-existent, covered completely in an unforgiving and uniformed blanket of snow and ice.’

‘Before I reached those in difficulty, I met a number of other walkers using ice axe and crampons on the slopes, which was so encouraging to see,’ he added. 

‘Although it was hard going underfoot, these people were clearly having a great day and enjoying the descent, which was in stark contrast to those we were there to help who were either stuck high up in the very consequential environment or had slid into the Corrie below. 

The Scottish mountains are popular with hikers, but mountain rescue teams facing multiple callouts have warned that walkers need to be properly equipped. Pictured: Hikers descending from Ben Nevis

‘It is never nice to see people in such difficulty as the fear for them is real, but with some careful physical support and encouragement, we were able to help them reach safety.

‘The Munros ‘Mayar’ and ‘Driesh’ do have a reputation for being straightforward to climb during most months of the year, but when winter comes, the ascents / descents in both Corrie Fee and on the Kilbo Path are a serious undertaking. 

‘I have been involved in many rescues over the years at both locations where slips on ice have resulted in a range of injuries, including fatalities, which I would not want anyone else to suffer. 

‘Good winter skills, including the use of ice axes, crampons and assessment of conditions are fun to learn and once developed will make mountain days at this time of year much safer and hugely enjoyable.’