A HILLWALKER had to be airlifted by a Royal Navy helicopter after injuring herself near Wemyss Bay.

A search and rescue aircraft from HMS Gannet at Prestwick rushed to the aid of a woman after she fell close to the caravan park shortly before 4pm on Monday.

The remote location meant ambulance crews were unable to reach the hillwalker and had to call for assistance from the helicopter crew.

Mark Reynolds from HMS Gannet said: “We were called to help a woman who had gone over on her ankle on the hill.

“The woman was okay and we took her off the hill to a waiting ambulance.

“She was in the tree-line in boggy ground and the ambulance had difficulty getting there so we aided with the lifting out to the ambulance.

“We were back to base within half an hour.”