The body of a hillwalker who went missing in Glenshee in the worst blizzards of the winter has been found by mountain rescue teams.
Aberdeen oilworker Gordon Fortune disappeared nearly 11 weeks ago when he went to scale three peaks in the glen.
Despite extensive searches by rescue teams who had to battle against winds gusting at 115mph and wind chill reducing temperatures to minus 20C, no trace of the experienced walker was found.
However, after recent thaws, the teams have been out on the mountains and it is believed the body they uncovered on Saturday is that of Mr Fortune.
Members of Aberdeen mountain rescue team discovered the body of a man partially buried in the snow in Corrie Kander in the Glen Callater.
Police have said a formal identification may take some time but they are keeping Mr Fortune's relatives informed of developments.
The 49-year-old lived alone in St John's Terrace and was engaged to be married. He worked for Schlumberger oil company.
Police Sergeant Graham Gibb, who led the rescue efforts, said searching had been hampered by 20ft-30ft drifts but they had revisited areas which had been explored as recently as last week.
''There has been a considerable bit more thawing going on across the week and the searchers came across the remains of a hillwalker. The body was found quite close to a corrie. It appears the person may have taken a slip down a gully.''
Mr Fortune had set out on January 14 to scale three peaks in the area, Carn An Tuirc, Cairn of Claise and Glas Maol. The alarm was raised when he did not return home and his car was found on the A93 two miles north of Glenshee Ski Centre.
It had been hoped he had dug into a snowhole to wait out the storm but the rescue attempt was called off after six days.
q Police yesterday named the climber found dead at the foot of Number Five Gully on Ben Nevis.
Mr Malcolm Hardcastle, 40, of Rappert Road, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, could have fallen 800ft according to rescuers who helped recover his body on Friday night.
A post-mortem examination in Inverness is unlikely to take place until tomorrow.
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