A police officer has admitted that hopes are fading of finding a missing pensioner alive.
William Elder was last seen at his sheltered housing complex in Pitlochry at 10.45am on December 10.
Since his disappearance, the area has been battered by high winds and experienced plummeting temperatures.
Sergeant David Patton, of Pitlochry police station, has now said the case is unlikely to have a happy resolution.
He also revealed that the search for the 81-year-old has led them as far afield as Edinburgh.
Sgt Patton said: “The last sighting of him was heading down to Atholl Road on the morning of his disappearance.
“There is a possible recording of him on CCTV on the other side of the road but that’s still to be verified.
“He never said where he was going. There was an inquiry in Edinburgh because of a possibility that he was going there but that doesn’t seem to have been the case.
“It was a general inquiry.As time goes on, our concern is growing.
“It’s been colder overnight, it’s been windy and rainy, and, given his age and the length of time since he’s been seen, we are now extremely concerned about him.
“I think there is a high likelihood that it’s going to be the case that he is not found alive.”