THE last pictures of Lesley Anne French show an experienced walker, kitted out for a day spent picking her way through the breathtaking scenery of the Lost Valley in Glencoe.

But hours after this photograph was taken on Friday by John, her husband, the idyllic Highland day had turned into tragedy.

Yesterday Mr French told how the couple were minutes from safety when a grassy ledge collapsed beneath his wife, sending her 50ft to her death.

It had been several years since the couple from Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire, who were once frequent and semi-serious climbers, had been in the Highland mountains, and it took them back to the days before they had their three

children.

At the end of the walk and as a treat for his wife's 54th birthday, Mr French had planned an overnight stay in the romantic Clachaig Hotel before returning home to celebrate New Year with their family.

But they never made it. When they were just yards from the car park near the main A82 Fort William to Glasgow road, their perfect day turned into a nightmare.

The walk had taken slightly longer than expected and the couple had to make their way through the pitch black back to their car by torchlight.

Mrs French, an English teacher at Gryffe High School, lost her footing when a ledge gave way beneath her.

She fell 50ft on to a rocky ledge then a further 20ft into the River Coe.

Speaking at his home yesterday, Mr French said he and his wife had given up climbing when their children - Kirsty, 23, Robert, nearly 22, and David, 15 - were born.

''When you have children you don't go in as much for doing stupid things, for taking risks, but this shouldn't have been a risk. It was just a walk and one we've done so many times before.

''It was such a perfect day. I just don't understand how this could have happened at the end of such a perfect day. We were so happy to be back in the hills and Lesley was keen to take it up again. She was fit and going well. We were on the footpath coming down. We had been delayed coming back just because we're a bit slower than we used to be.

''We had to use a torch and at one point Lesley went a couple of steps ahead of the beam. She just mis-stepped and a grass ledge gave way under her feet. She fell 50ft and I heard a horrendous thud. Then she fell another 20ft into the river.

''I called mountain rescue five times from the point where she fell but kept getting cut off. I shone the torch down and shouted her name but there wasn't a sound. There was no splashing in the water.''

Mr French, 52, a consultant engineer, tied a scarf to a tree to mark the spot and continued down the path until he had a better signal on his mobile.

Members of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team were at the scene within 15 minutes.

John Grieve, the leader of the team, said he received the call at 6pm on Friday.

''I made it a priority call which is reserved for an incident in which absolute speed might just make a difference to saving someone's life.

''It was quite a fast operation. We had 22 people there. We waded into the river from the other side. It immediately looked like a fatal accident but as we went towards her we saw movement and signs of life

and there was a big rush to resuscitate.''

The fight to save Mrs French continued on the journey to the Belford Hospital in Fort William, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

She had suffered severe head, abdomen and lower limb injuries.

John Watson, the headteacher at Gryffe High School, said Mrs French was a popular and dedicated professional who would be missed greatly by teachers and pupils.

''Mrs French was not only a good colleague but also a good friend who was well respected by them,'' he said. ''She was a dedicated teacher who liked to talk about her work and was always looking for ways to improve. She had a genuine love of children and teaching.''