TWO walkers have been rescued from a remote hillside at the top of the Yarrow Valley following a five-hour search.

Volunteers from two local mountain rescue team searched throughout Sunday night into Monday morning after the pair were reported missing.

And they eventually tracked down the plodders just before 5.30am.

The walkers had attempted to hike from the Tibbie Shiels Inn, at St Mary's Loch, to Moffat during Sunday.

But heavy snowfall during Sunday afternoon had slowed down the pair.

And a call was made to the emergency services by their worried families after they failed to reach Moffat.

Police Scotland called in Moffat Mountain Rescue and Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue just after midnight as concerns grew for the missing pair.

A total of 23 volunteers took up the search - several wearing skis due to the deep snow cover - working from either end of the Southern Upland Way section.

A spokesman for Moffat Mountain Rescue said: "Progress was very slow and some of the teams needed skis to make progress on the ground.

"A coastguard helicopter joined the incident and search dogs were on their way from further north in Scotland and the Lake District."

The missing walkers were found by members from the Tweed Valley team at around 5.30am.

Deputy team leader of Moffat Mountain Rescue Team, James Coles, added: “The walkers were well equipped and prepared for their day on the hill but the conditions seemed to be much worse than they might have expected.

"Both teams are tired but extremely pleased that the missing walkers have been found safe and sound."

The poor weather prevented the walkers from being evacuated by helicopter.

And they had to be taken from the hills by foot until reaching mountain rescue vehicles.