Members of the Pitlochry community are ”fearing the worst” as they wait to find out the fate of a local pensioner who disappeared more than a month ago.
The body of a woman fitting the description of missing Pitlochry woman Elizabeth Stevenson was found in woodland to the south of the town on Sunday morning.
A hillwalker contacted the emergency services after making the grim discovery behind Overton of Fonab shortly before 10.30am on Sunday.
Police have yet to formally identify the body but the family of the 77-year-old are being kept up to date of all developments.
Inspector Maggie Pettigrew, who has been leading the missing person operation, confirmed that the Overton of Fonab area was not included in the ”intelligence led” search zone.
She told The Courier: ”This has been the largest search operation seen in Highland Perthshire and hundreds of bodies have been involved over the past month many called in from out of the area due to their expertise.
”After conducting thorough searches of the town of Pitlochry itself, teams spread out to the wider countryside led by information from the public.
”We have been extensively searching areas Bet is known to frequent the woodland at Overton of Fonab was not an area which came up in our search parameters.”
She added: ”The body found was declared dead at the scene and though there are no suspicious circumstances, as with all sudden or unexplained deaths a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.
”We have been in contact with Mrs Stevenson’s family and will continue to do so.”
Close neighbours from Aldour Gardens who had only just returned from the funeral of another resident gathered to speak of their fears that the body might be that of Mrs Stevenson’s.
They said they missed seeing the popular grandmother, who has lived in the sheltered complex for the past decade, leaving for her daily walk.
Jessie Coghill told The Courier: ”I’ve known Bet since I moved here more than 15 years ago she lives right across from me and we would often sit outside together in the summer. She is a good person, quite quiet and always outdoors.
”When I heard that a body had been found my heart sank but as every week has passed, I have started to lose hope. None of us have been able to settle and her name has been brought up daily. I feel for her family at this time. I hope they soon find some closure.”
She added: ”I spoke to the police soon after she went missing and mentioned to them to look in the countryside on the other side of the A9 as she went there sometimes.”
David Stalker said: ”I didn’t know Bet well but would wave to her every morning through the window when she went for her walk she’d always say hello.
”We were all so shocked when we heard that she was missing because she knows her routes well. I saw her the day she disappeared and she looked fine. She was well wrapped in a warm jacket.”
”We have all been so concerned it’s awful to think of Bet suffering,” added fellow Aldour Gardens resident James Brunton.
Mrs Stevenson, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was last seen beside the northbound carriageway of the A9 at around 2.40pm on February 21. She was wearing a beige jacket, grey trousers and black boots.