‘Venomous’ adder attacks hiker walking in Scottish beauty spot

A hiker was taken to hospital after being bitten by a snake on a Bank Holiday walk.

Mountain rescue descended on Auchineden Hill after the man was struck down by a suspected adder bite at the Whangie, near Glasgow at around 2pm on Monday.

The walker reported ‘feeling unwell’, and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The adder (Vipera berus) is the only venomous reptile native to the UK and is recognisable by its dark zigzag pattern along the back.

Mountain rescue teams were also called to reports of a walker who had fallen in Campsie Glen around the same time.

Police Scotland confirmed the car park at the B822 Campsie Fells reopened around 7pm on Monday following the incident.

Lomond Mountain Rescue Team wrote on social media: ‘On Monday, the team were called to assist a walker who had a suspected adder bite at the Whangie and was feeling unwell.

‘Team members assisted colleagues from the Scottish Ambulance Service to evacuate the casualty to a waiting ambulance.

‘A second callout was received at 5.03pm, for a member of the public who had fallen in Campsie Glen.

‘Team members en route to the Whangie were diverted to assist with a multi-agency response involving Scottish Fire and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service and the Coastguard.’

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We received a call at 2.20pm on May 25 to attend an incident at Loch Lomond.

‘An ambulance, a critical care team and three special operations response teams (SORT) were dispatched to the scene. One patient was transported to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.’

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment on the suspected adder bite.

Adder bites in the UK are rarely life-threatening, but medical assessment is always essential to manage symptoms and prevent complications.