A woman whose remains were found in Edinburgh was murdered and dismembered, police believe.
A cyclist discovered the remains on Corstorphine Hill last Thursday.
Detectives have revealed that the unidentified body was dismembered before it was buried.
The remains may have lain at the spot for a few weeks or up to six months, they said following the results of a post-mortem examination.
Investigators are now appealing for the public’s help to identify the woman victim, who is described as white, middle-aged, slim, and short in height.
She wore a number of rings, one gold with a daisy design and another gold and heart-shaped, and is believed to have had cosmetic work on her teeth.
Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “The victim’s body had been dismembered before it was buried on Corstorphine Hill.
“We believed this may have been within a time frame of a matter of a few weeks but possibly as much as six months.
“This is a murder investigation and our immediate focus is on identifying this woman, and establishing the circumstances around her death. We need the public’s support to achieve this.
“This is someone’s daughter, it may be someone’s mother and I am appealing today to the public to consider if there is a mother, a daughter or a friend you have not seen or heard from for the past few weeks or months, and the person fits the following description I would urge you to contact us now.
“I feel confident that someone will recognise the description of the lady’s teeth and the rings, together with the general description of a slim middle-aged lady who has disappeared.”