Gravir deaths’ investigation

Forensic experts are examining the scene at a Lewis village where two elderly people were discovered dead in freezing conditions.

The couple, named locally as Donald and Maureen Macmillan, ran the post office from their home in Gravir in the Pairc district of the island.

Their bodies were discovered outside their own house in the freezing cold around 8am on Friday morning.

A specialist police forensic team has arrived from the mainland and are looking at points of interest in the garden and at the path in front of the house.

A blue-coloured forensic tent was erected on a sloping part of the lawn and a police officer stood guard at the scene.

It is understood police attended the scene thinking there was just one casualty and officers were shocked to discover the couple lying dead near each other.

Police experts assist in Gravir deaths’ investigation

19 November 2016

Police say the deaths are being treated as unexplained and it could take “a number of days” before the circumstances are established.

It is understood there are no suspicious circumstances.

Donald, known locally as Boy, had clocked up around 50 years in the post office and was the third generation of his family to run the service.

The 73-year-old also operated an outreach post office service two days a week in the Kershader Resource Centre, a community hub for the wider Pairc area.

Maureen, 67, previously worked at the nearby primary school and was a care assistant for a neighbour.

The pair - who had no sons or daughters - were well known in the community and helped out fundraising for local causes.

► Tributes paid to couple who died in Gravir

Donald and Maureen Macmillan were heavily involved in the local community