Claire MacCabe, who was among guests celebrating Graeme Steel’s 52nd birthday, was taken to hospital but died shortly after arriving. The party at Graeme’s remote farm cottage was yesterday described as “a bit of a bender".
A source added: “It was just a fantastic birthday party out in the sticks where people were having a good time. For it to end like this, with the death of someone, is absolutely heart-breaking.
“It was Graeme’s 52nd birthday over the August bank holiday weekend and he’d invited people up for a party. Some folk went up on the Friday and others went just for the Saturday night.
“It’s a really tragic set of circumstances that’s left people feeling numb. What should have been a very happy time has now left everyone very sad.
“Graeme will be gutted that this happened at his home. He’s a really decent guy who would have loved having his pals over for the weekend to celebrate with him.
"Claire’s family are all in bits about this.”
Claire, 44, from East Lothian, was said to have a son of primary school age.
Police said they were investigating the death in Stow, about 22 miles from Edinburgh. They added: “The death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.”
Father-of-three Graeme, a director of a landscaping company, lives at the farm with wife Lynne, 51.
His father led the Liberal party from 1976 until 1988.
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