It will be weeks before the mystery surrounding the body discovered last week at a Perthshire beauty spot is ended, forensics experts have said.
Police Scotland pathologists have been studying the remains of a man since they were found by a horrified walker at the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman described the procedure as “complicated” and confirmed that it would be some time before the tests are concluded.
Only then will formal identification take place, with officers having the heartbreaking task of informing the man’s family of their loss.
The body was found in woodland on the nature reserve near Dunkeld at around 10am on April 25.
It is believed to have lain at the beauty spot for some time before its discovery and its condition was so bad that officers could not tell whether it was that of a male or a female.
With no missing people fitting the profile in Tayside, the search for information had been undertaken Scotland-wide.
It is believed that information has since been forthcoming and police have narrowed their search, with the nationwide liaison with other forces ceasing.
The man is, however, not from the local area and police confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances.