The body was found Thursday morning, buried on land surrounding a rural wooden cabin-style property situated between Figueiró da Serra and Linhares da Beira, inhabited by a Scottish ex-pat couple resident in Portugal.

The man’s widow, named by national broadcaster SIC as Louise Khan, 46, has been detained by PJ police on suspicion of hiding a body and an investigation is ongoing to establish whether or not she had any involvement in his death. She was on Saturday due to be brought before a judge at a court in Guarda in a summary hearing.

A source close to the case told The Portugal News the man suffered from a serious cancer and travelled back to Scotland regularly for treatment.

An autopsy carried out on Friday showed no signs of violence but toxicology exams are still to be carried out.

The couple is said to have lived at the isolated Quinta for three years, after it was purchased by the woman, who is also believed to be Scottish and a piano teacher, and were not particularly integrated in the local community.

The source said the man died around September last year but that his family were not informed of his death and the alarm was raised by the local community who grew suspicious of his absence and of his partner's reaction when asked about his whereabouts.

Early indications suggest that the man died from his illness.

In a statement PJ police confirmed they have arrested a 46-year-old woman "for the presumed practice of, at least, one crime of corpse desecration."

The body, the PJ elaborated, "is believed to be that of a 59-year-old Scotsman, found and exhumed late yesterday [Thursday] afternoon by members of the PJ police and the Scientific Laboratory Police.

"We hereby conclude one phase of the investigation, launched with the news of the disappearance of the victim, and now seek to determine the causes of death."

The British Embassy in Lisbon said so far it has "not been contacted in connection with this case."