BAYWATCH star David Hasselhoff was hitting the high spots in Lochaber over the weekend.Not as a lifeguard, however, but as a mountaineer.The American actor and singer, who had lead roles as Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch and as Michael Knight in Knight Rider, was in the Fort William area to film for a television action series.The six-parter will go out on satellite channel Living TV, chronicling his travels around the UK, experiencing British culture and customs.
Accompanied by his daughter and her fiancé, Hasselhoff was staying at plush Inverlochy Castle Hotel on the outskirts of Fort William.Using the hotel as a base, he spent time filming on the shores of Loch Ness and in Glen Nevis.Having been heavily involved with bereaved families of New York firemen killed in the September 11 atrocity, the actor, nicknamed "The Hoff", was keen to learn a little about the rescue services in Scotland.And as Inverlochy Castle is situated at the foot of Ben Nevis, where so many of Scotland's climbing accidents occur, mountain rescue was an obvious aspect to feature.Local climbing guide and mountain search and rescue expert Mick Tighe, of Nevis Guides in Roy Bridge, was drafted in to oversee an abseiling and stretcher lowering exercise on the Poll Dubh Crags in Glen Nevis.Hasselhoff abseiled down a cliff face, while members of the film crew volunteered to be mock casualties and were lowered down over the sheer rocks in a rescue stretcher.Mr Tighe was ably assisted by his wife Kathy, a former member of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, and by personnel from the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team, including their team leader Kevin Mitchell, who were exercising in the area at the time.The series, with the working title of Project Hoff, is due to be aired from September 28 and it is being filmed by the Summer Films production company.