Police hope to be able to issue an artist's impression of a woman after a head and hands were found on a beach.
The woman whose severed head and hands were found on a beach in Angus has been identified by police.
Efforts will also continue to try to establish a more exact age for the dead woman, whose head was found wrapped in a plastic bag on Arbroath beach.
Two young sisters discovered the head in a plastic bag at Arbroath on Tuesday. Police later found two hands.
On Wednesday, officers said the woman was a white European, in her mid-twenties to mid-thirties.
Plans by police to issue an artist's impression of the mystery woman were cancelled a short time ago.
She had a distinctive circular scar on her forehead with light freckles over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.
A description of the victim issued on Wednesday is thought to have led to the discovery of her identity, which is yet to be revealed.
Scientific tests
Police have said she was white, with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair.
The head was discovered on Tuesday morning by two young sisters.
She had a distinctive circular scar on her forehead and light freckles over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.
Tayside Police have also retrieved two hands and said detailed forensic tests were being carried out on all three body parts.
The woman did not match any local missing person cases, so Tayside Police had been liaising with forces across the UK, as well as checking national and international databases.
A further search of the shoreline took place on Wednesday but nothing more was retrieved and the beach has since reopened.
Forensic tests have been carried out on the body parts.
Det Ch Insp Graham McMillan, the senior investigating officer, said the force was in the process of having an artist's impression drawn up.
The beach was closed following the discovery of the remains to allow a thorough police search to take place.
He said: "Identifying this woman is crucial in advancing our investigation."
It was reopened on Wednesday afternoon.
Tayside Police said a number of scientific tests, including DNA extraction and examination of bones would be carried out to try to establish a more exact age of the woman.
Det Ch Insp McMillan said the remains were in "a fairly good condition"
Dental records will also be examined.
Det Ch Insp McMillan said the remains were in "a fairly good condition" and that the emergence of any more body parts in the area was unlikely.
His investigation team was currently searching missing persons databases Europe-wide, he said.
"There is nothing on our database or the national database fitting the description but it may be that the person has not been reported as missing yet," Mr McMillan said.
"There are further databases we are looking at Europe-wide in the first instance."
Det Ch Insp McMillan admitted it may never be possible to determine whether the body parts were dumped in the sea but that tidal experts were being consulted.
And he said the case was still not being treated as murder.
"This is still a suspicious incident until we identify this woman which is key to this investigation," he said.
