HILL walkers and climbers are being urged to stay safe as they prepare to enjoy what for many is the most rewarding season.
With winter now starting to bite, many hillwalkers and climbers will be looking out their ice axes, crampons and headtorches. But mountaineering experts have stressed that it takes much more than this to be ready for winter.
Mountaineering Scotland has highlighted the high quality of online information which can be easily accessed before heading for the hills.