A woman has died following a house fire in Aberdeenshire.

The blaze broke out at a home in the centre of Braemar at around 6am on Thursday.

Elmore Mitchell was found dead within the property in the village's Kindrochit Drive.

Police confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the 55-year-old.

Inspector David Hoyle said: "Our thoughts are obviously with the family and friends of Elmore at this very sad time.

"Inquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing alongside the fire service, however at this early stage there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. As with all incidents of this nature a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

"I would like to thank the local community for their patience while emergency services attended this tragic incident."

No one else was injured in the incident.