MEMBERS of the Ochil Mountain Rescue Team recently visited Alva Glen to teach Wee County youngsters how to stay safe outdoors.

The team were talking to young people from the Ochil Youths Comminity Improvement (OYCI) about the work the OMRT does and how to have fun safely.

OMRT team member Sam Shortt said: "Ochils MRT was delighted to host the OYCI group. We talked them through how to prepare before going on the hills such as checking the weather, route planning, clothing, food and drink, personal first aid kits, leaving a note of where you are going and more.

"This was followed by stressing the need for good navigation skills on the hill and what to do in an emergency, for example dialing 999 and ask for the police and then mountain rescue.

"The group were then shown a range of rescue kit carried in one the of team's Land Rovers including first aid equipment, ropes and the rescue stretcher.

"[It was] great to have such an interested bunch."

OYCI is a youth action charity dedicated to ensuring all young people have the opportunity to have fun.

The meeting with the OMRT was part of the OYCI's Great Outdoors week, part of their free summer holiday provision.

This week was funded by Clackmannanshire Council's Summer of Wellbeing which is part of the Scottish Government's Summer of Play initiative.

The OYCI's Shona Ulrichsen added: "Our group walked from the woodland park by way of the Ice House and Silver Mine, out onto the front of The Nebit and down into Alva Glen.

"We then followed the path up the course of the Alva Burn to the viewpoint over Smugglers Cave.

"We met up with members of the OMRT at the end of the hike, who chatted to the young people about outdoor safety and particularly safety in the hills, as well as how to prepare for walking, what to take and what to think about.

"They showed the group the Rescue Land Rover and its contents [and] this generated a lot of interest amongst the group of young people - many of whom had little or no experience in the hills.

"The group got a chance to ask questions and demonstrate their own knowledge when being quizzed by the team."