Prayers, tears and tributes for teenagers lost to tragic gun accident

A service was held in Grantown on Spey to remember Sophie Taylor, who was killed after being shot by her boyfriend, Calum Murray. Mr Murray took his own life.

The Right Rev John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who led the service, drew parallels between the Easter message and the tragedy, describing how "out of darkness comes light".

The young couple died last Tuesday. The incident happened as Ms Taylor, 16, was cooking an evening meal at Mr Murray's home, Blair Marrow Cottage, located on Glenavon Estate near Tomintoul.

It is thought Mr Murray accidentally shot his girlfriend while cleaning a legally-held gun, before the distraught 18-year-old turned another weapon on himself.

Grampian Police have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Both teenagers and their families were remembered at the service.

Mr Christie, who happened to have been visiting the area at the time of the tragedy, sought to provide solace and comfort to those affected by the incident.

The service at Inverallan Church was attended by around 300 people, many of whom came from the Tomintoul area.

Reverend Sven Bjarnason, the parish minister in Tomintoul, attended today's service and had discussed the impact of the tragedy on the community with the moderator. He told The Scotsman: "It's a very sad and difficult time for everyone.

"There was seriousness and sadness at the service, but there's a lot of support in the community, and people have come together.

"It was very important for the people of Tomintoul to feel that. I'm sure the parents of all those involved are being greatly helped by the support from around them.

"It was a very moving service, and the church was very well filled. The moderator was here when the tragedy happened and he mentioned how so much can happen in a week.

"He took very much into account what has happened here, and the week ahead. He started by looking at Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and going forward to Easter. He took into account the darkness of Calvary and how out of that came the resurrection, and applied that to the situation we find ourselves in here."

A special assembly will be held today at Speyside High School, where Ms Taylor was a pupil.

A keen skier, the teenager also worked part-time as a waitress at Tomintoul's Delnabo Estate.

The assembly will be led by Rev Bjarnason, who expressed optimism the event will offer classmates of Ms Taylor and the wider community an opportunity to "come together and reflect."

More than 1,400 messages of remembrance have been posted on social networking website, Facebook, since the death of the young couple.

Ms Taylor's family said the pair were in love and the incident had been a "dreadful accident."

They added that they had been left "completely shocked" by the death of their "beautiful" daughter, while Mr Murray's family said he would be "treasured forever".

The funeral of Ms Taylor is expected to be held at Lecht Ski Centre on Friday, followed by a burial in Tomintoul. Details of Mr Murray's funeral have not yet been released.

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that the Ms Taylor's parents, David and Katie, ran past Mr Murray's body after Tuesday's incident, believing their daughter's boyfriend was slumped in grief.