Farewell tributes to teenager killed in shooting tragedy

In her moving tribute, Sarah Foster told how she and her classmate, Sophie Taylor, had planned to stay best friends forever and be bridesmaids at each other's weddings.

But she told the packed congregation: "Our paths will go different ways now. And even though you aren't here right now, you will stay in my heart forever."

Almost 1,000 mourners attended the celebration of the life of Miss Taylor, 16, who died on 12 April when she was accidentally shot by her 18-year-old boyfriend, Calum Murray, before the grief-stricken trainee gamekeeper turned a gun on himself.

Mr Murray's parents, Alan and Anne-Marie, joined Miss Taylor's parents, David and Katie, at the funeral service at the Lecht ski centre, ten miles from her home in the village of Tomintoul.

Miss Foster, who was Miss Taylor's classmate in the fourth year at Speyside High School, began the service by reading a farewell letter to the best friend she had known since they met as three-year-olds at nursery school.

She stood before the packed congregation and said: "Dear Soph, I just want to tell you a few things before you go."

She told how they had become friends for life when they were at nursery together and recalled: "You had the most beautiful blonde hair, and when we put on a show of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you obviously were the perfect choice for Goldilocks."

They started high school together in 2007. Miss Foster said: "We were really worried that we would end up in different classes. So we promised one another we would stay best friends whatever happened.

"But thankfully we were put together. We made loads of new friends and began to grow up. We started using hair straighteners, to have our hair dyed and use make-up, maybe slightly too much at times. You loved your bright blue eye liner, but it never dulled your beautiful eyes."

She added: "We were going to carry on growing up together - going on to the university and then getting new jobs.

"If we got married you would have been my bridesmaid and I yours. Our kids would have had an auntie Sarah or auntie Soph."

He voice faltering, she concluded: "I will always remember you as a bubbly, caring, loving girl and I know you were very happy in the last few months.

"To my best friend, I will miss you so much, Soph. Love you always."

Michael Baker, who led the service, told Miss Foster: "That is one of the bravest things I have seen. To stand up in front of all these people and speak so personally is a tribute both to your courage and to the affection in which you hold Sophie."A tribute to Miss Taylor was also made by Gill Handley, a primary teacher who had become her friend. She said: "Sophie was an amazing person with a wonderful personality. I watched her grow from a lovely young girl to a beautiful young teenager with a wicked sense of humour."

A piper, playing The Flowers of the Forest, escorted the flower-draped coffin from the ski centre. The cortge passed the isolated cottage where the two teenagers died, before Miss Taylor was laid to rest in the village cemetery in Tomintoul .