A Dundee pub landlord who helps rescue people from Tayside hills says the number of callouts has nearly doubled since Covid-19.
Paul Russell, who owns The Bank Bar on Union Street, revealed that Tayside mountain rescue team has attended 28 incidents since January – a figure he fears could rise to 70 by the end of the year.
Before the pandemic, the average number of callouts in the region per year was between 27 and 40.
That number rose to 57 in 2021 – the team’s record – and hit 56 the following year.
Paul, a senior team leader for the Tayside service, says it is a “concerning trend” which has been seen across the UK.
Pub boss ‘disappears’ from work when rescue call comes in
The 52-year-old admits it can be challenging to balance the demands of the role with his full-time job at the popular Bank Bar, which he has run with his wife Susan for 25 years.
But staff have become accustomed to his sudden absences – with Paul sometimes required to leave work to attend a rescue mission at the drop of a hat.
He said: “Time is of the essence, so you need to be out the door pretty quickly.
“It can be a case of leaving your food, leaving what you’re doing – and getting into the car and going.
“Thankfully, I have a lot of great staff who pick up the slack when I disappear.
“If I’m away on a big search for a couple of days then people have got to step into my shoes to manage the business.”
Volunteering can take a toll on home life
He stresses that a lot of volunteers – there are 50 across Dundee, Perthshire and Angus – are in the same boat.
He said: “There needs to be a lot of understanding from employers and other people you work with.
“It can affect your home life as well – you can be sitting down having something to eat when you can get a call.
“Some of the volunteers have young children and then they have got to try and find a babysitter.”
The “busy spell” for the service shows no signs of slowing down – with the Tayside team rescuing three people over the Easter weekend.
On Monday, the service received a call from a man in his 20s who was lost between two Munros in the Glen Doll area.
Paul said: “He was just in between Mayar and Driesh and he got lost.
Man saved in Glen Doll blizzard over Easter weekend
“It had started to heavily snow and quite a big blizzard came in and it was very cold.
“Weather can change very quickly and that catches people out.
“We managed to locate him by using phone technology.
“A small team drove 750 metres up to pick him up before bringing him back down to the glen.
“He was a bit overwhelmed with the weather closing in and things like that.”
The team also assisted a woman with a broken ankle in Glen Devon and another lost near Kinnoull Hill in Perth.
Paul blames the increase in the number of callouts on the rise in popularity of hillwalking during Covid.
He explained: “A lot of the incidents are down to inexperience – people getting caught out with the weather or getting caught out with kit and equipment.
“People don’t realise that it can be nice in glen, but at 3,000ft it can be -4°C and -5°C, and the weather can turn really quickly.”
The rescue team has played a key role in the ongoing search for Ross Kinghorn, 57, who went missing near Blair Atholl in January.
They have also assisted the police-led search for Reece Rodger, 28, who disappeared on a camping trip near Loch Rannoch last month.
Paul’s top safety tips for hikers
Asked how walkers can stay safe in the mountains, Paul shared his top tips:
- Always check the weather before you go
- Don’t over extend yourself
- Make sure you carry the right equipment for the conditions
- Have a map and compass – and know how to use them.
The Tayside mountain rescue team relies on government funding and donations from the public.
Conversation