A grieving family have said that an Inverness woman found dead earlier this week “left a smile on all our faces”.
Police inquiries continue into Charlotte Hornby’s death after the 24-year-old’s body was found near a city beauty spot on Sunday evening.
The young woman is understood to have been walking home from a night out on Saturday.
She was last seen by a friend at 3.25am at Cavell Gardens on Sunday.
Miss Hornby’s parents Harry and Patricia have now spoken about their loss for the first time.
The couple said she was looking forward to living in the Highlands with her brother Edward.
But they said her death means that her potential is “lost to everyone who knew and worked with her”.
In a statement released by police, Mr and Mrs Hornby said:
“She was intelligent, outgoing and enjoyed a wide range of outdoor pursuits. She was ambitious, confident and made friends wherever she appeared.
“She was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire before moving to Fortrose with her parents in 1992.
“Charlotte was educated at Avoch Primary School, Fortrose Academy and subsequently graduated from St Andrews University with an MA in Geography 2:1 in 2011.
“Her sporting interests ranged through hill-walking – she ascended her first Munro – Slioch – aged just three – cycling, skiing, climbing, running, kayaking, horse-riding and latterly squash. Her thirst for adventure knew few bounds extending to the James Bond Black Ski Run in Switzerland. Her love of music extended to playing both the piano and guitar whilst attending popular music concerts and enjoying music wherever she was.
“She had a wide range of friends from Fortrose, St Andrews and Aberdeen where she lived whilst employed by SSE as an environmental advisor. Wherever she went her humour, sense of adventure and kindly nature built friendships that she actively maintained.
“Recently she was in the process of returning to the Highlands and was moving into a flat with her brother Edward.
“That exciting new stage in her life will not now be realised and her potential lost to everyone who knew and worked with her.
“In 24 years, Charlotte has lived life to the full, filling every minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run. Her family can only be consoled in the knowledge she passed suddenly having achieved so much having left a smile on all our faces.”