Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team
Tweed
Valley Mountain Rescue Team is based in the Scottish Borders. It is part
of the network of Mountain Rescue Teams affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
which covers the whole of the country. The team is a charity and all the
members are volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to
go to the assistance of people (an occasionally animals!) who are lost,
missing or injured.
The Team has its Base in Selkirk, and covers the western part of the area that was formerly the responsibility of Lothian and Borders Police.
We also work closely with the other emergency services in the area and can call on neighbouring Mountain Rescue Teams, Search and Rescue Dogs and RAF or Navy Search and Rescue Helicopters from Boulmer and Prestwick. In addition to these relationships, Tweed Valley MRT is proud to be twinned with HSSK, a volunteer rescue organisation based in Kópavogur, Iceland.
Our area covers the highest hills of the Southern Uplands including Broad Law (840m), much of the Pentland Hills, the Moorfoot, Tweedsmuir and Eildon Hills, the wild and remote Ettrick and Yarrow valleys and some of the best and most popular mountain biking areas in Scotland at Glentress and the 7Stanes at Innerleithen. A large stretch of the Southern Upland Way is within the Team's area as well as a number of other popular waymarked paths.
As well as the wild uplands, our area also covers significant population in Edinburgh and we are often called to assist the Police in searching rough low-level ground in less remote locations.
In addition to emergency callouts, the Team frequently provides First Aid cover for outdoor activity events. Recently these have included Downhill Mountain Bike Races at Innerleithen, the Durty Triathlon, the Eildon 2 Hill Race and the leg of the Merida Bike Marathon series that is held in the area, as well as traditional and historic annual local events such as Selkirk Common Riding.
If you are running an outdoor event in our area and would like the Team to provide First Aid cover, please contact our Events Coordinator who will be pleased to discuss your requirements.
Preparing for the outdoors
Before venturing out on any outdoors activity, always check the weather forecast before you leave. The Mountain Weather Information Service provides regularly updated and detailed forecasts for all upland areas in Scotland. To help you be prepared, the latest forecast covering the Southern Uplands is available here.
In an Emergency
If you require the assistance of any Mountain Rescue Team within the UK, please dial 999 and ask for the Police who will task the required personnel. Have a grid reference or position ready if you know it, but don't guess.
We have prepared a leaflet which you can
print and take with you in the hills to help you remember what to do if
you require the Team in an emergency situation.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has also prepared an emergency card in association with the Scottish Mountain Safety Forum, which you may find useful.
Once an emergency call has been received, the Team is then mobilised by the Police, using a system of pagers and SMS text messages.
© Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, 2008-2015