The need for dedicated civilian mountain rescue teams across the remotest areas of Scotland has grown as the number of hillwalkers and climbers has mushroomed over the last few decades.
Scottish Tourist Board figures now show that around one third of all holidays to the Scottish Highlands involve hillwalking, hiking or climbing. As mountaineering becomes more popular the number of accidents increases. In 1995 alone there were 49 fatalities in the Scottish mountains and nearly 200 serious injuries.

However, DMRT is not only on hand to help hillwalkers and climbers. Increasingly, the team is asked to search and help in non-mountain incidents where local people have gone missing. These rescues frequently involve the very young or elderly.
In July 1998 the team helped rescue a teenager from Fort Augustus who had fallen 70ft into the River Moriston.

Several team members are qualified Emergency Medical Technicians and all team members are trained to use oxygen, entonox (pain relief gas), cervical collars, airways, vacuum mattresses, stretchers and splints. All this equipment is frequently carried into the mountains in emergencies. To maintain skill levels using up-to-date casualty management techniques, team members must be sent on residential training courses.