Tributes have been paid to a Scottish mountaineer who fell 1000ft to his death in the Alps.

Des Rubens, 64, died after falling into a crevasse from the 14,022ft Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland.

The father-of-two, a former president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, had recently retired from his post as outdoor education teacher at Craigroyston High School in Edinburgh.

The school's head teacher, Stephen Ross, said: "Des' thoughtful manner and high expectations of what students could achieve ensured that every child who experienced an outdoor education course, field trip, camp, skiing, climbing or mountain biking experience with him came away with a sense of achievement and a new idea of what they were capable of.

"He also had the same expectations of staff, taking us away on staff weekends and then forcing us up gorges and down rivers.

"He was a larger than life personality who left a big hole in the PE dept and the school when he retired, and will be very sadly missed. Our thoughts are with his wife and their two children."

David Gibson, chief officer of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, told STV: "It's sad news and our thoughts are with his family and friends. David was a very active and popular mountaineer.

"He was also one of a group of mountaineers in Scotland that over the years undertook adventurous expeditions in other parts of the world.

"We have supported them over the years and one thing I always remember is Des would write about his expeditions for our members' magazine.

"I remember the enthusiasm and humour coming through in those articles."

Among the many people paying tribute on social media, Green Lothian MSP Andy Wightman tweeted: "Thoughts and sympathy with Des Ruben's family. He transformed the lives of many young people."