By Joel Adams For Mailonline
Published: 14:00 GMT, 6 February 2019 | Updated: 15:34 GMT, 6 February 2019
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Two walkers have died after falling 1000ft from a munro in the Highlands.
Concerns were raised for two men in difficulty on Ben Hope in Sutherland on Tuesday and a search operation was launched.
A coastguard helicopter crew discovered the bodies on the north-west side of the mountain shortly after 2am this morning. Police say efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies.
They are at least the sixth deaths on Scotland's mountains this year - all but one of them walking or climbing accidents.
The pair were on 3041ft high Ben Hope, pictured, about six miles south west of Tongue
No contact had been made with the pair after their initial call for help around 3.30pm. At least one of the men fell around 1000 ft.
The injured pair were on 3041ft high Ben Hope, about six miles south west of Tongue, when the alarm was raised at 3.46pm.
The Stornoway-based search and rescue helicopter was sent to the scene together with Assynt Mountain Rescue Team.
But the helicopter returned to base at around 7pm - with lightning hampering the operation - and rescuers battling the darkness and driving rain and snow.
Police Scotland today confirmed that two men died.
'Sadly the bodies of the two men were discovered on the north-west side of Ben Hope shortly after 2am on Wednesday by the helicopter crew,' said a spokesman.
'Both bodies currently remain on Ben Hope and
