Police were yesterday probing the death of a 56-year-old woman whose body was recovered from the sea off Scrabster.
A full-scale search involving police, coastguards and Thurso Lifeboat was mounted for Jan Murray on Sunday evening after she was reported missing from her home in Thurso.
The body of the married mother-of-three and grandmother was found about four yesterday morning. Her death is not being treated as suspicious.
She had eaten lunch in a local restaurant on Sunday before it is understood she went for a walk along Holborn Head.
Mrs Murray, who was born and brought up in Bettyhill, and her husband Ross lived for many years on Strath Halladale.
She had worked on an oil rig for a number of years but had recently been a care worker. She was planning another stint offshore.
She had three children, Elaine, Ross and Adam. Elaine and Adam work at Dounreay while Ross is an offshore worker.
The tragedy is the second to hit Strath Halladale in quick succession. The funeral took place on Friday of 48-year-old Davy Sutherland. The father of two, who is from the strath, died suddenly at his home in Melvich.
A police spokesman said: “The body of a 56-year-old woman was found following a search by police, RNLI and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the fill circumstances. There are no apparent suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”