A quiet Saturday afternoon in Moray turned grim when a single bone was found in woods next to Lhanbryde cemetery, just four miles from Elgin. Police raced to the scene and threw up a large cordon as forensic teams began combing the area. Residents now wait anxiously to learn if the bone is human or animal.
Discovery Made Near Cemetery on Elsher Road
The alert came in shortly before 4pm on Friday 7 February 2025. A member of the public walking in the woodland off Elsher Road spotted what looked like a bone and immediately called police.
Officers arrived within minutes and sealed off a wide stretch of the woods that sit right beside the village cemetery. Blue and white tape now stretches between trees as specialist search teams and forensic officers work the ground in white suits.
Police Scotland confirmed the find but stressed it is too early to say what they are dealing with. A spokesman said: “We were called around 3.50pm on Friday to a report of a bone found in woodland near Elsher Road, Lhanbryde. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances.”
Village Left on Edge as Search Continues
Lhanbryde is a small, tight-knit community of around 1,800 people. Many residents regularly walk their dogs through these woods or use the paths as shortcuts. The sudden police presence has shocked everyone.
One local, who asked not to be named, told our reporter at the cordon: “I walk here every day with the dog. It’s creepy to think something might have been lying here all this time. We just want to know what it is so we can all feel safe again.”
Another villager added: “The woods back right onto the cemetery. It’s an old graveyard. Your mind goes to dark places, but it could easily be an animal bone. Deer come through here all the time.”
How Police Handle Bone Finds: The Process Explained
When a bone is discovered in Scotland, officers follow a strict protocol.
- The area is immediately secured to protect potential evidence.
- Forensic anthropologists or pathologists examine the bone on site or at a lab.
- If it is human, Police Scotland launches a full missing person inquiry and treats the area as a potential crime scene until proven otherwise.
- DNA testing and radiocarbon dating can be used if the bone is old.
In most cases across rural Scotland, such finds turn out to be animal remains: deer, sheep, or even historical animal burials. Yet every discovery is treated with utmost seriousness until experts rule otherwise.
Past Cases in Moray and the Highlands
Moray has seen several similar incidents over the years.
In 2022, human remains found near Forres turned out to be ancient Pictish bones. In 2019, a bone discovered close to Lossiemouth beach was confirmed as sheep. And in 2008, walkers near Dufftown found what they feared were human remains; tests showed they belonged to a red deer.
Each time, police have urged the public not to speculate until scientific results come back, exactly the same message they are giving now.
As of Sunday afternoon, 9 February 2025, the search operation continues. Additional officers and cadaver dogs were brought in yesterday, and the cordon remains in place. Police say they expect to have preliminary forensic results within the next 48 hours.
For now, the people of Lhanbryde and the wider Elgin area are holding their breath. A village that prides itself on peace and quiet has been reminded how suddenly the past, or something darker, can surface in the most ordinary places.
We will update this story the moment Police Scotland releases new information. If you have any information that could help the inquiry, call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1789 of 7 February.
What do you think the bone could be? Animal, historical, or something more recent? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
