ONE of Scotland’s biggest and best-known dance schools, based in Helensburgh, is celebrating the most successful year in its history after securing two national scholarships as well as a horde of international trophies and medals.

The Margaret Rose School of Dance, which was set up in 1972 by Margaret MacInnes, recently earned Highland scholarships from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD) for students Eilidh and Catriona Gammons.

The Helensburgh group had five nominations for the awards, but it was 10-year-old Eilidh who took home the junior prize for under-14s, and Catriona, 15, who won the senior under-18 scholarship.

And they followed on from further success for the dance school with winners’ medals in championships across Scotland, Australia, USA and Canada.

Margaret said: “We’ve had a phenomenal year and I couldn’t be more delighted.

“Isla Flint became an Argyllshire champion and also won a premiership in the USA, as well as winning the choreography competition.

“Catriona won a championship in Australia then had to pull out of another with an injury, so to end her year winning the BATD scholarship is an amazing achievement.

“Eilidh became a champion in Australia, Canada, USA, Northern Ireland and in many areas of Scotland.

“She now has 76 championship titles and is still only 10.

“Our premier dancers have also had huge success at competitions all over Scotland with thousands of medals and many trophies won by many pupils with the two most successful being Skye Erith and Grace McGrath.”

Margaret said the dancers are now having a well-earned rest before getting back to work for the start of the 2019 championship events and fulfilling commitments at local nursing homes.

Young starlet Catriona also received a special invitation to the 127th annual conference of the BATD in London, where she will dance in the grand ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Felbridge hotel in June.

A remarkable 2018 for the dance school included a visit to the Scotdance festival in Canada, in which nine pupils from the school competed.

Eilidh Gammons won gold in all 11 of the sections in which she competed, while her sister Catriona secured a silver and four bronze medals.

Georgia Dennet brought home a gold and six bronze medals, while Isla Flint took a silver and two bronzes.

Anna Rose King won four bronze medals and Lily Dennet three at the event, while Chloe Pearce won a silver medal and two bronzes and Grace Charlton a silver and five bronzes.

The girls also did a Highland fling at the top of the Calgary Tower during their visit.

Eilidh and Catriona, meanwhile, were the first dancers to represent Scotland at the New South Wales Highland dancing championship in Australia on March 31 and April 1.

The sisters undertook the trip after a successful community campaign to raise £3,000 towards the cost of the journey.

They were accompanied by Margaret’s friend Barbara McDonald, since the girls’ mum was unable to make the trip and Margaret herself was at another dance festival - in Hawaii - at the time.

Back on home soil, seven of Margaret’s pupils brought home trophies from the biggest Highland dancing event of the year - the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon at the end of August.

In addition to Eilidh winning another four major prizes - including the May Falconer Memorial Trophy for the best Scottish dancer at the whole event - the school’s Cowal Gathering triumphs, watched by a worldwide audience through the event’s live online feed, also included a first major title for Isla Flint, who won the Argyllshire championship title in the 15 years age group section.

For more information about the dance school, or to enrol your child as a pupil, contact Margaret MacInnes on margaretroseschoolofdance@hotmail.com or by calling 07711 398462.