TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Dunfermline woman who lost her life in a tragic walking accident in Switzerland earlier this month.

Stella McLoughlin, nee Blaikie, died while out walking her beloved dog, Odin, near her home on March 11. This is the last picture of her, taken just hours before her death.

Mum-of-three Stella had lived in the mountain village of Baretswil with husband Craig and sons Patrick, 23, James, 22, and Ewan, 19, for around 15 years.

Her mum, Rosaleen, and sister, Claire Key, travelled from their Dunfermline homes to Switzerland last week to attend her funeral which took place on Friday.

They are still coming to terms with the shock with the death of Stella, who was well known for her outgoing personality and for always wearing a red flower in her hair.

"It is the fact she was not ill and we were not expecting it," said little sister Claire. "It is one of those stories you expect to read in the Dunfermline Press but not about your own family."

Originally born in Portsmouth, Stella came to Dunfermline as a young girl when dad Bob was posted to Rosyth. She attended St Margaret's Primary and St Columba's High.

She met husband Craig in Lourenzos when he was visiting the area for a Navy Day at Rosyth while serving in the Australian Navy. After a whirlwind romance, she moved to his native Australia before moving to Switzerland in 1991.

"She was just my big sister. She was there for for everybody," Claire said.

"She was a big person in every sense of the word. She had the biggest heart that you could ever imagine. If she felt someone had someone had been done wrong, she would be straight in there.

"The amount of people who are mourning her loss along with us is incredible.

"There are hundreds of people from all over the world. There was a service for her in Australia and Craig is having one in Switzerland and when we get her ashes back, we will have a service for her here. She is definitely greatly missed.

"She was known for for wearing a red flower and wore it all the time," added Claire.

"On Facebook, friends are going to be posting a picture of themselves with a red flower on Friday at 11am when her service starts for those who cannot be there.

"The red flower was quite a significant part of her. We were lucky to be able to put the flower back in her hair before she went.

"She is going to be loving this. She will love the fact that she is in the Dunfermline Press.

"She loved being the centre of attention – it wasn't that she loved it, she just was."