A patient has been transferred from the Isle of Cumbrae to hospital.

The island coastguard assisted in the medical transfer at Millport helipad yesterday.

A spokesperson for Cumbrae Coastguard said: "The HM Coastguard helicopter is just under 10 minutes flight time from Cumbrae, so with the pagers sounding at 4.30pm and the helicopter already in the air, there was very little time to spare.

"The helipad itself was prepared which included checking the surrounding area for bystanders and debris.

"Once the helicopter had landed and the ambulance had arrived, the patient was transferred to the cabin into the care of the waiting paramedics for the short flight to the mainland before the team returned to station around 5.20pm."

"Helicopter Operations form a key part of the core skills training for all Coastguard Rescue Teams and whilst this includes the selection and setup of emergency sites in areas such as roads, fields and beaches, here on Cumbrae we're lucky to have the use of a designated helicopter landing site which includes area lighting and a wind sock. This helps ensure the safe and timely transfer of patients to the mainland in place of a longer journey which would otherwise require a ferry and a road ambulance.

"Thanks to our colleagues from Scottish Ambulance Service here on Cumbrae and the crew of Rescue 199, and we wish the patient a speedy recovery."