There’s a helicopter using a search light, tracking along the ridge line to Allermuir.

Anyone know what’s going on?

Looks like there’s a team on the ground too

It’s one of the SAR choppers from Inverness.

Yes, not a police helicopter

The team on the ground look to be on the trail that goes to the top of Hillend ski slope, but the chopper was searching much higher. It looks to be tracking along the trails up there.

From the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue FB page:

CALLOUT: Team were called out by Lothians & Scottish Borders Police Division at around 20:40 yesterday evening following reports from several members of the public that they had seen a static light flashing on or near to the top of Caerketton Hill in the Pentlands just to the south of Edinburgh. 18 Team Members made themselves available and were assisted by HM Coastguard Rescue 951 from Inverness. Searches were carried out around the base of the crags to the West of the Hillend Ski Centre and over the tops towards Allermuir Hill. Nothing was found by the search teams and we stood down at 01:10 on the basis this was a ‘false alarm with good intent’.

Gulp.

If I was still in Edinburgh that could have been my out on my fatbike enjoying the snow.

Allermuir sunset by Colin Cadden – Flickr2BBcode
HTC One S, undefined@3.6 mm, fundefined, 1/2392s, ISO102

Does sound like someone out enjoying an evening.

I see lights on the ridge line all the time and you can see people following the trails. Must be runners or bikers. There was obviously something unusual about this particular light

static light flashing

A static flashing light doesn’t of itself mean anything.

The internationally recognised distress signal is three (or six) long flashes in a minute followed by a minute of no flashes repeated until three long flashes are received in response.

static light flashing

Someone sat next to stove, having a brew, with headtorch on can look like a flashing light…

That or someone has the front light on flash

The internationally recognised distress signal is three (or six) long flashes in a minute followed by a minute of no flashes repeated until three long flashes are received in response.

I suspect it may have appeared to be this, hence the response.

As I said, I see lights up there all the time. If I noticed one flashing in the same spot for an extended period in the current conditions, I’d have probably called the Police on 101. Even when runners/bikers are stationary up there, their lights move a fair bit and you can see the beams sweeping around

I’ve bivvied up there. I guess that just looking around while wearing a head torch could look like it was flashing.

From my bedroom window I now get to see all the walkers/climbers descending off the Northern Corries. And the piste bashers of course.

I guess that just looking around while wearing a head torch could look like it was flashing.

Hmm, maybe, but see what I added to my post above your post.

Oh, I think a call-out may well have been the best option but there’s a difference between someone wearing a bright riding/running light and a small thing like a Petzl Zipka. The latter might only be visible when directly shone but not bright enough to cast a beam.

I expect that the police will have checked the car parks and usual parking places for vehicles so have an idea that one or more people are out. They may have had a call that someone is overdue as well. It would be a bit odd to get SAR out without good reason.

I think the Tweed Valley MR were out earlier, then called the SAR chopper in around 11pm. That’s what made me look out of the window.

There was obviously something unusual about this particular light

Independent reports of clear, consistent SOS signal in static location for around 20mins.

Independent reports of clear, consistent SOS signal in static location for around 20mins.

I stand corrected.

Independent reports of clear, consistent SOS signal in static location for around 20mins.

This opens up more questions than it answers 😐

But seeing how good the search light is from the SAR chopper, I doubt they would have missed anyone in the location.

Thinking about this, someone could have been in trouble but found by a passer by. People are up there all the time. Both parties then got off the hill and were oblivious to the following SAR operation.

@dmorts – That’s possible but I’d have thought (hoped) that the “casualty” would have realised that their signal could have been seen and acted upon and informed the police just in case.

But seeing how good the search light is from the SAR chopper, I doubt they would have missed anyone in the location

They have to turn it off when they come in to land, apparently it will set fire to undergrowth from 8m above. We spent about an hour on foot clearing steep ground that the aircraft then covered in a 20 sec pass!

But seeing how good the search light is from the SAR chopper, I doubt they would have missed anyone in the location.

Assuming good conditions, they’d be like a beacon on the IR camera from miles off