Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to a 40-year-old Perthshire woman who has died suddenly at her home in the village of Murthly.
Melanie Caban is understood to have died in her sleep and was found by her father Peter at her home in Druid’s Park.
The cause of Melanie’s death is not yet known and her family are waiting for the results of a post mortem.
Melanie had worked in a boutique in McEwens of Perth department store for some years and also worked with Perthshire singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean.
Dave Amos, a close friend of the family, described Melanie as a ”lovely girl” who would be sorely missed.
He said: ”Everybody loved Melanie. She was a lovely girl who was so well-known across Perthshire.
”Everybody is in shock at what has happened, and we don’t yet know why she died.
”She was such an outward-going, pleasant, bubbly and caring girl who would always be the first to ask how you were doing.
”Melanie was so popular everybody she worked with at McEwens would tell you that and she knew how to make people smile.”
The MacLeans also paid tribute to “a great and valued member of our team”.
In a post on the Perthshire Amber Facebook page, they said: “Our whole family are so saddened by Melanie’s death. She was a very close friend and a wonderfully sunny and generous person who worked with us on and off for more than 20 years in our family business here in Perthshire.
“Whether it was in the Cathedral Street office and gallery, our music pub in Dunkeld or more recently at our Perthshire Amber Festival, Melanie was a great and valued member of our team who was loved by all. RIP dear Mel.”
Melanie ran the Edinburgh half-marathon earlier this year, raising £400 for charity and completing the race in just over two-and-a-half hours.
Her father Peter, who owns the Bandwagon music centre in Perth, plays in blues band Wang Dang Delta and local act Late Shift.
A police spokeswoman said: ”There are no apparent suspicious circumstances, but as with all sudden deaths a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”