The family of missing Russian student Yulia Solodyankina are expected to find out how she died today, ending the seven-month mystery of her disappearance.

A post-mortem examination on human remains found in woodland 50 miles from where the Edinburgh University student was last seen boarding a bus is expected to show they are hers.

The 22-year-old was the only child of her parents Ekatarina and Dmitry, who has been closely involved in public appeals.

The discovery last Thursday near Arrochar, Argyll and Bute, has prompted speculation that she may have been murdered.

However police sources have insisted there are no suspicious circumstances.

The police operation at the site, 60 yards from a rutted track near the main A83 had been scaled back by yesterday.

Only a few forensics officers and police officers were still on duty next to two police vehicles along the path which remained sealed off.

Ms Solodyankina's disappearance sparked a nationwide missing persons hunt with many of her friends using social media to highlight the case.

She was last seen by friends on June 6 2013 and was seen on CCTV footage the next day at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow, the last time police are sure she was alive.

She was believed to have caught a bus from from Glasgow to either the Highlands or Argyll, but it now appears the latter was her destination as it was an area she knew well.

There were no further sightings of Ms Solodyankina after June 7 despite appeals.

Ms Solodyankina left many possessions in her Edinburgh flat, including her laptop and her mobile phone.

She had been due to perform with her dance troupe on June 8, but didn't turn up and was officially reported missing on June 12.

Her disappearance came less than a month before she was due to graduate.

One early line of inquiry was that she had been depressed at having failed the final year of her degree. According to her boyfriend Antoine Dao there had been concerns about her welfare during her exams.

The appeal extended to last summer's Glastonbury Festival, as Ms Solodyankina, a physics student, had been known to attend music festivals around the country.

Across Edinburgh, coffee cups were printed with her face on them as part of the "Find Yulia" initiative in an effort to jog peoples' memories

Ms Solodyankina's friend Matthew Crisp, who was prominent in the campaign to find her, said he was still baffled by her disappearance.

He added: "Yulia seemed happy and just like her normal self the last time I saw her. It's still a complete mystery.

"She didn't have any problems as far as I'm aware. There's been tons of speculation but they don't hold much ground."

A statement posted on the campaign's Facebook said: "A body has been found in Argyll, there has been some speculation to suggest that it may be Yulia.

"We have confirmed with official sources that the investigation is at a very early stage, there is no information to suggest either way."

Last month her friend Graham Clark had posted on the site: "We are still looking for Yulia.

"It has been over six months since she went missing and her friends and family have not forgotten her.

"We need to know that she is safe and well.

"Our thoughts are with her family in Russia at this difficult time." Ms Solodyankina's father, Dmitry Solodyankina, 45, and the rest of her family in Moscow have been informed of the find and are awaiting formal identification.

One supporter of the campaign summed up the mood when he tweeted yesterday: "Tragic if this is Yulia Solodyankina found in Argyll. Hope they get to the bottom of it."