An experienced hiker was the third person to die in the Ben Nevis region within two weeks when he slipped and plunged to his death into a stream, an inquest heard.

Christopher Reddick failed to return home to his family after an afternoon hill walking in the Scottish Highlands, a coroner heard.

The 60-year-old, from Sunningdale, was found the following day face down in water in the Grey Corries mountain range near Fort William.

The family were on holiday in Aviemore when Mr Reddick set off for a solo hike on the morning of August 7.

A proficient, confident and fit mountaineer, Mr Reddick had previously climbed 166 of the Munros - Scottish mountains higher than 3,000 feet, of which the best known is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.

On the fateful day he set off as usual with a handwritten route map placed in a waterproof pouch, plus appropriate hiking gear, GPS and a survival tin.

At 2pm he phoned his wife to say he was at the top of the first of two Munros and would be back by 7.30pm. She later missed a call from him but when she rang back, his phone went straight to answerphone.

However three-and-half hours after he said he'd back, he had still not arrived and at 11pm his family rang 999 and reported him missing to police.

As he was an experienced hiker, mountain rescue teams waited until the following day before launching a search. 

A full search began at first light, involving two mountain rescue teams, a police dog handler and a search and rescue helicopter crew. 

At 2.45pm someone in the helicopter spotted a red object and ground teams were directed to the area, where mountain rescuers found Mr Reddick's body.

Rescuer Jonathan Hart found the pensioner partially submerged in a burn at the bottom of a slope. It appeared that he had been dragged down the large stream to his final resting place some distance from his red rucksack. 

Senior coroner for Berkshire Peter Bedford said: "It's believed either he has slipped or fallen or else he intended to cross the river and slipped and was washed downstream. 

"He was washed downstream for some distance." 

Mr Reddick, from Hamilton Drive, Sunningdale, was declared dead at the scene and a post mortem examination carried out later found he had drowned whilst hill walking.

Despite his seeming good health, the coroner heard that arteries in his heart were significantly narrowed, which may have contributed to a fall. 

His wife Michelle told the coroner that hill walking had been her husband's "passion" and he would take the opportunity whenever he could.

She said her husband loved the Scottish mountains and often drove north for long weekends walking and he had spent 10 days trekking in Nepal.

Scottish Police investigator Alasdair MacDonald (both corr) said Mr Reddick had appeared to be well prepared for the trip to the Grey Corries mountains near Ben Nevis. 

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "At about midnight on Friday, police at Fort William received a report of a 60-year-old hill walker from the Berkshire area who was overdue on his return from walking in the Grey Corries area, near Fort William. 

"About 8am on Saturday, a full search operation commenced and at about 3pm, the man was sadly found deceased having apparently slipped and fallen in the Coire Choimlidh area." 

He was the third person in less than two weeks to die in the Ben Nevis region. Hikers Steven Fogg and Ian Bell both died in separate incidents on Carn Mor Dearg Arete before Mr Reddick.

Experienced mountaineer Mr Fogg died after a 600ft horror fall down a ridge on Ben Nevis.

The 56-year-old, from Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, had been climbing Carn Mor Dearg Arete, a ridge often used by experienced walkers as a more challenging way of reaching the mountain's summit.

Hiker and lecturer Ian Bell, aged 60 years, from Hertfordshire, was earlier found dead on the ridge by mountain rescue teams after being reported missing the previous day.

All three men had slipped and fallen and Mountaineering Council of Scotland chief officer David Gibson said the wet summer had created difficult conditions for hikers.

Mr Gibson said at the time: "We're in the midst of one of the wettest summers on record so hikers must be prepared for poor conditions including wind, rain and those underfoot. Paths and ground may be eroded or slippery, and burns may be higher than normal and difficult or even impossible to cross safely.

"Many accidents resulting in serious injuries are caused by a simple trip or slip. Slopes with wet grass or snow constitute a hazard."

Mr Bedford told family members at the inquest: "From the evidence available to me, mainly from the Scottish authorities, I record that Christopher Reddick died on the 8th of August near a dam south of Spean bridge.

"The conclusion I will draw is simply an accident. "Please do accept my condolences. It's an awful, awful thing to have happened."