Family told man was shot dead a week after body find

There was a police presence at the remote murder scene on Wednesday

The family of a man shot dead in rural Perthshire learned how he died more than a week after his body was found.

Brian Low's body was discovered in the Pitilie area near Aberfeldy at about 08:30 on Saturday 17 February.

Police said the death was initially treated as non-suspicious until a medical examination found injuries consistent with a shooting.

A post-mortem examination then took place six days after his death, prompting a murder investigation.

The family of the 65-year-old retired groundsman only learned of the development on the afternoon of Saturday 24 February.

Mr Low had been walking his black Labrador along a remote track when he was shot.

The dog was found by his body, and the death was initially assessed as "medical-related", the force said.

Police have now released more details of the timeline of events, as questions were asked about why it took so long to begin an murder investigation.

Local MSP John Swinney, the former deputy first minister, earlier told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live that he had concerns.

"I want to understand why there was a gap of some considerable distance and time between the discovery of Mr Low's body and the disclosure that there was a suspicion Mr Low had been murdered...because as I understand it, Mr Low had been shot," he said.

Police Scotland said the murder inquiry was set up immediately following the results of the post-mortem examination.

Forensic work was being carried out by police at the scene in the Pitilie area on Tuesday

Meanwhile tributes have been paid to Mr Low who had worked at Edradynate Estate until his retirement in February of last year.

A neighbour - a fellow dog walker who also did not want to be named - described Mr Low as the "loveliest guy".

He said it had been unnerving to see the police activity and that officers had been seen in the area a week ago.

On why it had apparently taken police so long to treat Mr Low's death as murder, he said: "There's definitely questions to be answered".

There was a visible police presence at the remote scene of the murder and in nearby Aberfeldy on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the estate where Mr Low used to work, which is about five miles from Aberfeldy, said the news of his death was "extremely sad".

"We send our deepest condolences to Brian's family," they added. "We have no further comment to make at this time."

A former colleague of Mr Low, who asked not to be named, described him as being "one of the most honest men you could meet".

He told BBC Scotland News: "I worked with Brian for around seven years. Simply put, he was a very nice guy. A good man.

"He helped me a lot. He was one of the most honest men you could meet. I have only good words for him. I was shocked to hear the news."

By Graeme Ogston, BBC Scotland News reporter in Aberfeldy

The long, quiet rugged path that leads from the main road to the scene of Brian Low's murder is dotted with just a handful of houses.

But few neighbours are willing to be identified or even to speak about the horror that is unfolding yards from their doorsteps.

Mr Low was seen locally walking his dog, and those who knew him (or knew of him) described him as "the loveliest guy."

And while there are few here and in nearby Aberfeldy saying they are openly worried about a killer on the loose, there is real concern that they are only hearing about Mr Low's murder 10 days after his body was found.

A couple of people said they had heard last week that a local man had died walking his dog, but had assumed it had been a medical matter.

So there is real shock that an active murder inquiry is now taking place in their town, with uniformed and plain-clothes police very much out and about on the streets of Aberfeldy.

Det Ch Insp Marin Macdougall, of Police Scotland's major investigation team (MIT) said extensive inquires were taking place.

He said: "Since criminality was established on Friday evening, the MIT has carried out a number of lines of enquiry and we are keeping an open mind as to the motive in this case.

"We are now turning to the public for information. Aberfeldy is a remote area with close knit community. Anything unusual would stand out.

"I am asking anyone with information, if you noticed anything out of the ordinary or heard anything of concern, to please contact us. It could be vital to our investigation."

Police launched the murder investigation 10 days after Mr Low was shot

Local Area Commander Greg Burns said: "I understand this is an extremely concerning incident for this small, rural community.

"I want to take this opportunity to reassure people that we are working round the clock to find out what happened to Brian.

"We will have additional high-visibility patrols in the area and you will see significant police activity over the coming days".

Detectives have set up an online portal where members of the public can submit information.