A pensioner killed in a devastating house fire was tonight named by police as the property’s owner, Joan Rennie.
The cottage in the historic village of Crovie was destroyed by a huge blaze on Tuesday, May 6.
At the time, it was feared that 69-year-old Miss Rennie had been trapped inside, but firefighters had to wait two days to get inside and search the property, after it had been made safe.
Miss Rennie, who was discovered beside the remains of her beloved springer spaniel Milly, was formally identified by police last night, following a series of DNA tests.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “As is normal practice, a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.
“Inquiries into the cause of the fire are continuing.”
Miss Rennie, a retired art teacher, was a prominent member of the Crovie Preservation Society and campaigned to save the village’s historic pier from falling into a state of irreversible disrepair.
Neighbours described her as the “heart and soul” of Crovie.
They said she regularly walked along the coast to the shops at Gardenstown to bring back groceries for people in the village.
Last night, her cousin Issy Dickson said: “We all miss her very much, for all the fun and laughter over the years.” She said Miss Rennie was especially missed by her nieces and nephews.
Miss Rennie had lived at the cottage for more than 40 years.
Her friend and neighbour Billy Wiseman raised the alarm when he saw thick smoke and flames coming from the property just after 7pm.
About 20 firefighters from across the north-east spent just over two hours tackling the blaze.
But it was not until the Thursday morning that investigators were given the all-clear to go inside and search the building.
The one-and-a-half storey property had to be made safe first by structural engineers.