Ben Nevis climbers thank rescuers with Macallan

The four young men who were rescued from Ben Nevis amid blizzard conditions on Monday have thanked the team that saved them with Macallan and Malbec.

The four men who were airlifted to safety from Ben Nevis amid blizzard conditions have thanked Lochabar Mountain Rescue team with Macallan and Malbec

The tourists, three of whom were wearing trainers to climb Britain’s highest mountain, called 999 after getting lost on Ben Nevis without climbing equipment or a map.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team confirmed that the four men, who were on a day trip to the Scottish Highlands, had no ice axes, crampons or mountaineering attire.

Lucky to have phone reception, the quartet used an app to inform the rescue team of within metres of their location near the summit of the mountain, where the wind chill was at -20°C due to Storm Ciara.

Verging on hypothermia by the time they were rescued, the men were airlifted to safety by helicopter and taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team posted a picture on Facebook of the thank you gift the grateful tourists sent them, which included a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, two bottles of Viñalba Malbec from Argentina, a bottle of The Macallan whisky and £200.

“These were very young guys who without any prompting made a very generous gesture, which is very much appreciated. Not everyone rescued appreciates that we are not full-time and are not paid to be at their beck and call,” the team said.

The climbers admitted to a “significant error of judgement”, and said that they were “extremely sorry for the results of their actions”. At 1,345 meters above sea level, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK.