Did you hear a helicopter above Edinburgh late on Saturday? Here's why..

Sounds of a helicopter hovering around Holyrood Park were heard by locals in Edinburgh last night (Saturday May 29) as emergency services battled the dense haar to rescue an injured walker at Arthur’s Seat.

The mist in Edinburgh on Saturday night complicated emergency rescue service efforts to airlift an injured walker from the area.

Locals living near Holyrood Park reported hearing a helicopter overhead from 11-11.45pm last night as a HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter tried to assist Scottish Ambulance Service and mountain rescue teams.

The helicopter was seen circling Arthur’s Seat and nearby parts of Meadowbank and Leith as it attempted to land several times.

According to Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team (MRT), called to the scene just after 10pm, the helicopter was ‘beaten back’ by dense fog accumulating overnight in the Capital.

A Scottish Ambulance Special Operations team was later called in to carry out the evacuation of the injured walker.

Posting on their Facebook page, Tweed Valley MRT said: “Just after 22:00 this evening we were called to assist the Scottish Ambulance Service evacuate an injured walker from Holyrood Park in Edinburgh The walker had sustained a lower leg injury on complex ground with rocky single track paths above and below them.

“As well as Ambulance and MRT, HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R199 also attended but despite valiant efforts, they were beaten back by rolling banks of dense fog which were drifting in and out of the casualty site.

They continued: “Once it was established the helicopter could not assist, the casualty was evacuated by Scottish Ambulance SORT team in their Wolvarine vehicle for onward transport to hospital.

“10 MRT were available for this one and were stood down at midnight.

“Best wishes to the casualty and fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.”

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