Past and present Guides in Torrance have been celebrating a century of Girlguiding in the region.

The festivities began with an afternoon tea on May 12 at the Broadcroft Hotel in Kirkintilloch.

A crowd of 73 gathered for the event, some even travelling from Hampshire and Frankfurt to be a part of the celebration and reunite with Girlguiding friends.

Special guests included Clara Gillepsie, the oldest former Girl Guide in Torrance, who along with 11-year-old Niamh Foy, a member of the 2nd Torrance Guides, had the honour of cutting the celebratory cake.

Niamh Foy and Clara Gillespie cut the cakeNiamh Foy and Clara Gillespie cut the cake (Image: Girlguiding Dunbartonshire)

Niamh’s connections with Girlguiding go back to her grandmother who was a former Brownie, Guide, and Tawny Owl in the village.

Memory panels adorned with pictures and mementos spanning several decades offered attendees an illustrative journey through the history of Girlguiding in Torrance.

Guides young and old celebrated the 100th anniversaryGuides young and old celebrated the 100th anniversary (Image: Girlguiding Dunbartonshire)

This momentous occasion continued to the district's 100th-anniversary party on May 30, attended by 75 individuals including Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, leaders, and parents.

The celebrations proceed to the annual Campsie Show where 13-year-old Mia Lennox, a member of the 2nd Torrance Girl Guide since 2016, was crowned this year's Torrance Gala Queen.

Mia, a pupil at Woodland View School, has been with Girlguiding since the age of five.

She was accompanied at the Campsie Show by fellow Girl Guiders, Lucie Campbell and Lyla Finlay, her attendants.

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides from across the village participated in the parade, exemplifying the spirit of Girlguiding.

The final event of the celebrations will be a district centenary sleepover.

Former guides had a chance to reuniteFormer guides had a chance to reunite (Image: Girlguiding Dunbartonshire)

Margaret Hyde, leader of the 2nd Torrance Guides and principal, organiser of the centenary festivities, paid tribute to the significant role of captain Sheena Pirie, the leader who laid the foundation of Girlguiding in Torrance with the first meeting on May 30, 1924.

Serving for more than 40 years, she meticulously documented the girls’ activities in logbooks, which the district now treasures.

Ms Hyde said: "She was a true inspiration.

"Captain Pirie was a much-loved force in Torrance.

"Decades of her lovingly preserved logbooks are full of sketches, emblems and photos.

"They offer evidence of the legacy left by her to all of us and how she will not be forgotten."

As the Girlguiding units in Torrance break for summer, the organisation calls for volunteers, expressing the urgent need for a unit leader for the 2nd Torrance Brownies, and leadership vacancies in 1st Torrance Rainbows and 2nd Torrance Guides.

Interested individuals can register to volunteer or seek additional information at the Girlguiding Dunbartonshire website.