The course will teach basic compass skills, among other subjects

A mountain safety expert is urging hillwalkers to brush up their navigation skill to improve their enjoyment and cut the chances of having to call on rescuers for help.

Heather Morning, mountain safety adviser for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, pointed out that getting navigation wrong on the hills leads to many of the callouts for rescue.

She said: “Mountaineering incident statistics show that around half of all incidents requiring assistance from a mountain rescue team can be traced back to a navigation error.”

The MCofS is staging a series of cut-price navigation courses aimed at beginners or those who want to improve their skills on the hills.

“We are running a series of navigation courses this spring on a not-for-profit basis as part of our mountain safety programme,” she said. “Anyone wishing to learn the basics of mountain navigation or brush up on their skills is encouraged to sign up.”

The courses will be held in May at the Ochils Mountain Rescue Base near Alloa and the Lomond Mountain Rescue Base near Drymen in the Campsie Fells.

A further course will be held in September in Ullapool.

The one-day MCofS navigation course will give walkers a gentle introduction to the theory followed by a practical session on the hill. Each qualified mountaineering instructor will take a group of six students and there are spaces for 12 people per course. The minimum age is 18.

Anyone attending will need to be equipped for a day out on the hill with food and drink, boots, gaiters, waterproof jacket and overtrousers, warm hat and gloves or mitts and a map case or clear poly bag. Maps and compasses will be provided.

The cost for MCofS members is £35 and for non-members £45, though this includes a year’s membership of the MCofS. Organisers said pre-booking is essential.

More details are on the MCofS website.