A man has been charged with murdering his sister by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck in the shadow of a witch's monument.

Jordan Johnstone, 24, allegedly murdered Annalise Johnstone, 22, at the Maggie Wall's Memorial in the Perthshire village of Dunning on 9 or 10 May.

Johnstone, whose address was given as care of Perth Prison, appeared briefly in private at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday to face a petition alleging he murdered his younger sibling.

It alleges Johnstone repeatedly struck his sister in the neck with a sharp implement at the witch's monument next to the B8062 road running between Auchterarder and Dunning.

Johnstone, who had been living in Perthshire, also faced a second charge alleging he had stolen a caravan in Irvine, Ayrshire, on 9 May.

He made no plea and the case against him was continued for further examination.

Solicitor Jim Laverty made no motion for bail and Johnstone was remanded in custody.

The court appearance came after a major fortnight-long police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Miss Johnstone's body.

Earlier this week police activity centred on the monument which was infamously visited in the 1960s by Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

The body of Annalise, from Ardrossan in Ayrshire, was discovered on the B8062 Auchterarder to Dunning road on 10 May.

Officers from Police Scotland's major investigations team have been carrying out a probe into the circumstances of her death.

Annalise's father, Gordon Johnstone, 43, said: "I'll never get over this.

"I'll never get over not seeing and talking to Annalise again.

"I can't believe I'll never get her back.

"It's like my candle has been burnt out, I'm an empty shell.

"I know I have my family around me, but I feel empty.

"We'll never be the same again."

The monument purportedly represents a woman who was killed as a witch, but no record of her actually exists.