Hector Patmore, a 45-year-old Anglican priest and professor at KU Leuven University in Belgium, died after falling while hillwalking in Scotland. His body was discovered in the Cuillin area of the Isle of Skye on Monday afternoon after he failed to return to his accommodation on Sunday.
Police stated that formal identification is pending, but his family has been informed. The circumstances surrounding the fall are not considered suspicious, and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
Colleagues at the Catholic research university held a moment of reflection in Patmore's memory on Tuesday. Bénédicte Lemmelijn, dean of the faculty, described the news as "a bolt from the blue" and spoke of the "enormous" devastation felt by the faculty.
Paddy Stephenson, leader of the Skye Mountain Rescue Team, reported that Patmore's body was found at the foot of steep terrain. He noted that the search was hampered by severe weather, with winds of 45 mph and constant rain. "He had taken a fall which was unsurvivable," Stephenson said, adding that Patmore was also "slightly off route."
More than 20 volunteers from various mountain rescue teams participated in the search. Stephenson commended the teams for their efforts in the difficult conditions and expressed condolences to Patmore's family and friends. The operation to recover the body concluded around 7 p.m. on Monday.
Patmore, originally from Wokingham in Berkshire, had been teaching the Bible at KU Leuven since 2019. He previously studied theology at Durham and Oxford universities and completed postdoctoral work at the Protestant Theological University of the Netherlands. He also held visiting research and teaching roles at institutions including Oxford, Nottingham, Strasbourg, and Jerusalem.
He had planned to climb Sgurr Na Banachdich, a mountain standing at 3,166 feet, descending via Coire Na Banachdich within the Cuillin range.