THE family of a Scot who went missing after attending a conference in Switzerland believe he may have been hurt in a hiking trip.

Researcher Fergus McInnes, 51, left Edinburgh Airport on September 9 bound for a computer science conference in Geneva. But he failed to check into his hotel or attend the conference and was last seen on CCTV at a Swiss airport buying a return train ticket to the Alpine town of Martigny, 50 miles away.

Now his sister Lorna said she fears her brother, a keen hill-walker, could have been hurt in an accident hiking in the foothills of the Alps.

The 41-year-old said on social media: "The train would arrive on Tuesday [September 9] afternoon, giving him some free time to do as he wished.

"This is in a beautifully scenic area, nestling in a valley surrounded by mountains. There are a number of well-marked paths leading up from the town into the countryside, and it is entirely possible Fergus took a hike up one of these.

"If he did go into the mountains, he might have got lost, or had an accident of some sort."

Meanwhile his father, Bennet McInnes, said his son's colleagues at Edinburgh University were doing everything they could to help with the search. He said the family was growing increasingly worried as his son had not accessed his emails or social media since disappearing.

It is understood police have searched his home in St Leonard's Bank in Edinburghtwice. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "We are keeping an open mind, but one consideration is that he went hill walking near to Martigny."

Jean-Marie Bornet, chief of information for the Valais Police in Switzerland, said there have been no further sightings of Mr McInnes since he was captured on CCTV in Geneva Airport.