The family of a college lecturer who died on the slopes of Britain’s highest mountain made a poignant journey to Scotland to meet the rescue team who searched for him.

When 60-year-old Ian Bell, who worked at West Herts College, failed to return from a walk on Ben Nevis’ Carn Mòr Dearg trail back in 2015, his family alerted the Lochaber Mountain Rescue team.

Following a day of searching, the body of the father-of-two was found in a gully in Coire Eòghainn, a particularly treacherous area of the mountain.

To celebrate his life, Ian’s wife Julia along with their two sons Oscar, 25, and Louie, 23, held a mini festival in their back garden called IanFest in September.

Friends and family attended the gathering to turn sorrow into smiles, and with the garden filled with music, fantastic food and more than 100 people, the event now looks set to be an annual occasion.

In total, £850 was raised for the 40-strong group of volunteers who search for the missing and save lives in the Lochaber area.

“It was an emotional journey to meet the Lochaber Mountain Rescue team but we wanted to thank them personally for searching to find Ian when he went missing on the mountain,” said Julia.

“The Lochaber Mountain Rescue team are an incredible group of individuals who all work as volunteers and give their time to helping climbers and walkers on the mountains.

“They gave us a warm welcome. It was a tender touching time to shake their hands and go to the area where Ian died but a positive step in a long journey of grief.”

Last year the Lochaber Mountain Rescue team conducted 130 rescues but received only £20,000 in funding from the Scottish government.

Around 150,000 people walk to the summit of Ben Nevis annually, and the rescue team are an integral to the safety of hikers in the area.

 ‘We will continue to fundraise in the future for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue. We can never forget them,” added Julia.

“Ian is always in our hearts and we thank all those who have supported us over the past two years and those who donated money at the ‘IanFest’. 

“We thank all those who performed at this event and gave their time and music, food and hearts to the occasion. We also thank Ian’s cousin David Bell and his wife Wilma for driving us to Fort William to meet the team. It was a huge moment shared.”