A man who was found dead inside a tent in an abandoned quarry near Inverness has been identified as a former soldier.
Police confirmed the man found at Torvean Quarry on September 18 was James Thomson Lawson Fernie.
The 64-year-old was a serving soldier with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards between 1972 and 1986.
He was originally from the Stirling area and he also has family connections in Cornwall.
A police spokesman said “extensive inquiries” had been carried out to identify Mr Fernie.
He added: “There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding this death.”
It is believed that he died from natural causes.
Mr Fernie’s body was found within a tent at a secluded spot within Torvean Quarry on the outskirts of the Highland capital, close to the A82 road to Fort William.
It is understood he had been living in the quarry for some time.
The area has several paths and is popular with dog walkers.
However, the tent was found pitched in a quiet area at the top of a steep bank some distance above a path and it is understood that Mr Fernie may have lain for a considerable time before being discovered.
Police initially couldn’t even identify the gender of the deceased after the tent was discovered.
A major police investigation was launched after the body was found on a Sunday evening, with forensics staff combing the area for days after the discovery.
Police confirmed a few days later that they were following a positive line of inquiry and said they believed the body to be that of a man from the Stirling area.
It is understood that police had encountered Mr Fernie before he died but had no concerns for him at the time.
Officers also confirmed that he had not been declared missing.
The body was discovered fully clothed and officers were able to identify Mr Fernie partly due to a scrap of paper found in his belongings containing a name which gave a clue as to his identity.
