Coach Overturns At Rest And Be Thankful Injuring 30

Five people have been seriously injured after a coach carrying around 50 tourists came off the road and overturned in Argyll.

Eleven are in a stable condition in total in hospital's across Glasgow and the West - 2 have been treated at the Southern General, 6 at the Western Infirmary and 3 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

The accident happened on the A83 near the Rest And Be Thankful at around 2pm today.

The serious injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, police said, but the most seriously hurt have been airlifted to the Southern General in Glasgow and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley for treatment.

In total, there were 51 people on board the Lochs and Glens Holidays coach and 25 of those have been described as ''walking wounded'' following the crash.

Police, fire and helicopter rescue crews were sent to the scene and the road was closed while emergency services treated passengers and investigated the cause of the incident.

Lochs and Glens Holidays runs a number of coach trips, mainly in the Scottish Highlands, but picks up passengers across the UK.

A spokeswoman for the company said: ''We are liaising with the emergency services regarding the injured passengers and to establish the cause of the accident.

''In the meantime, buses have been provided to transport the remaining passengers back to their hotel.''

Artist and local gallery owner Stuart Herd witnessed the crash.

He said: ''It was more serious than I first thought, it was pretty nasty. It seemed to slide down the embankment.''

Photographs from the scene showed the coach standing upright on an embankment off the road, next to a stretch of water.

The closure of the popular route, the main road to Argyll, means motorists face almost 60 mile diversions.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ''Around 2.10pm this afternoon, Thursday March 26, a coach with tourists, overturned on the A83 Rest And Be Thankful.

''It is understood that 51 people were on board, of which five are believed to be seriously injured, but not thought to be life-threatening. Twenty-five people are described as 'walking wounded'.

Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: ''Scottish ministers have been kept fully informed of this serious incident across the afternoon and our immediate thoughts are with the passengers who have been transported to hospital.

''The emergency services have been working closely with helicopters from both Prestwick and Lossiemouth as well as mountain rescue teams and a rest centre has been set up in 'Three Villages Hall' in Arrochar to help the walking wounded.