A motorist knocked down and killed a friend and neighbour as she cycled to the shops.

Pensioner Murdo Morrison was driving much faster than he thought when he crashed into the back of 59-year-old Mary Brook’s bike.

She struck the windscreen his Fiat Panda before being thrown into the air and landing 90ft away down an embankment.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that the tragic accident happened at Milton, near Drumnadrochit, 15 miles from the Highland capital.

Miss Brook, who lived at Lochletter Farm Cottage in Balnain, died of chest and spinal injuries despite efforts to save her by local residents and a retired doctor.

Seventy-two-year-old Morrison, of Kinloch, Balnain, told police he was the driver and did not see Miss Brook until it was too late.

He appeared in court on indictment causing Miss Brook’s death by careless driving.

Sentence on the first offender was deferred for background reports until November 19.

Fiscal depute Michelle Molley told the court that it was a warm, sunny day and visibility was good on July 22 last year when the fatal accident happened around 8.40am.

She said: “Miss Brook was a fit and active woman who was safety conscious and experienced.

“She lived five miles from Drumnadrochit, not far from Kinloch, and they knew each other.

“She cycled regularly along the A831 Drumnadrochit to Cannich road in the summer months.

“The collision occurred near the junction with the A833 to Beauly on a straight stretch of road in a 50mph zone. Police estimated Morrison’s speed at between 33mph and 46mph.

“He failed to react to the presence of the bike and collided with its rear wheel. Police were called and he provided a negative breath test for alcohol.

“He told police he thought his speed was 15mph to 20mph.”

The court heard that Morrison told police: “I saw the cyclist in front of me so I was slowly coming up to avoid her and out of the blue I felt the impact. I stopped and saw it was a cyclist I had hit. I thought I had left enough space between her and my car.”

His agent, solicitor Ken Ferguson, told Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist he would reserve his comments on the tragic incident until the background report was prepared, but he added: “My client has not driven since the day of the accident.”

The accident happened on the day white-painted “ghost bikes” in memory of cycling accident victims were displayed at Holyrood as part of a safety campaign.

Miss Brook was well known in the area, and until a year before her death was a director of Soirbheas, a charitable community company which was setting up a five-turbine windfarm at Corrimony in Glen Urquhart along with the Girvan family.

The project was designed to benefit the Strathglass and Glen Urquhart communities.

Lindsay Girvan, who worked with Miss Brook on the project, said at the time of the accident: “She was just a lovely person. She was happy to take up responsibility, wanted to give something back to her community and was very much for green energy.

“Mary was very heavily involved with her community and part of the group that was representing it. She was a wonderful woman. She was a big part of putting up the windfarm and I am devastated that this has happened.”