Rita Campbell
Police searching for a woman reported missing from her island home revealed last night they had found a body.
Officers had earlier issued a plea for help from the public after saying they were concerned about the wellbeing Margaret Pratt.
The 52-year-old had been missing from her home at Portree on the Isle of Skye since Saturday.
Police, lifeboats, a helicopter and coastguards were involved in a major hunt for her yesterday.
Portree and Stornoway lifeboats and Dunvegan and Portree coastguard teams searched the coastline, while Stornoway Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter scoured the north-west of Skye.
Ms Pratt, who is known as Maggie, is believed to have travelled from Uig to Tarbert on the Calmac Ferry at 6.40pm on Saturday, arriving at Tarbert at 8.20pm.
She is then thought to have returned on the same ferry, leaving Tarbert at 9pm on Saturday and arriving in Uig at 10.40pm.
A police spokeswoman said: “Margaret is described as 5ft 5in, of medium build, aged 52 with mid-length ginger hair, and glasses.
“She is thought to have been wearing walking shoes, dark trousers, a dark fleece with gold lettering and a navy blue Berghaus waterproof jacket.
“She was also in possession of a red-coloured handbag.”
It is understood a body was found by the Lub Score shingle beach near Kilmuir on the Trotternish Peninsula in the north of Skye around 5.30pm yesterday.
The search for Ms Pratt was called off shortly afterwards.
Police said the body had yet to be identified.