Isle of Skye shooting: Man charged with murder and the attempted murder of his wife

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A man has been accused of murder, and attempting to murder his wife, following a series of shooting incidents on the Isle of Skye.

Finlay MacDonald, 39, faced one charge of murder and three charges of attempted murder when he appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court on Friday.

John MacKinnon, 47, died after a firearm was discharged during the series of incidents on Wednesday morning.

Three others were taken to hospital, including a man, 63, who was in a critical condition on Thursday, and a 32-year-old woman, Rowena MacDonald, whose injuries have been described as “serious”. The defendant is Mrs MacDonald’s husband.

The accused did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody.

Mr MacKinnon's family have paid tribute to the “much-loved” family man following the tragic incident.

They said in a statement: “John was a loving husband, father of six, brother, uncle and grandfather to his family, and was a much-loved member of the community.

“John loved the outdoors, was a keen motorcyclist and, as a loved father, shared his activities with his family.”

Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett, local policing commander for Highlands and Islands Division, said: “The thoughts of everyone are with the family and friends of Mr MacKinnon and the people who remain injured in hospital.

“These incidents took place in close-knit, rural areas and will have a significant impact not only on those directly affected, but also friends and neighbours living in these communities.”

Scottish Conservative local councillor Ruraidh Stewart, said that members of the community remain “resilient” in the face of the tragedy.

“My heart breaks for the families involved in this tragedy,” Mr Stewart said.” In Skye and Lochalsh we are a close-knit community who are shocked and saddened by today's incident.

“My prayers are with the bereaved families and the victims in hospital with serious injuries. We are a resilient community, thankfully well supported.

“I would like to thank the emergency services for all their efforts and the Highland Council staff, who have helped and supported the families involved.”

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said it was “one of the worst days that I can recall in the history of Skye and Lochalsh”.