Dirleton Gallery founder Elizabeth Maclean Munro turns 103

Elizabeth Maclean Munro turned 103 last Friday and opened the doors to her home in the village to dozens of guests.

Elizabeth, who has lived in the village since 1985, said: “I had relatives, which was lovely, and a lot of friends.

“I did not count how many but there were quite a lot.

“We were a pretty full house!

“I enjoyed every bit of it.”

Friends and family help celebrate Elizabeth Maclean Munro's birthday at her Dirleton home. Image: Gordon Bell

Elizabeth, who was also a regular at the village’s church, was joined by about 40 friends, family and neighbours to celebrate her colourful life.

At the start of the Second World War, Elizabeth volunteered as a driver.

One day, as she was driving near RAF Scone, an RAF bus caused her to swerve into a ditch.

Image: Gordon Bell

One of the passengers of the bus, Robin Hampshire, helped to get the car out of the ditch and then asked her on a date.

He proposed marriage at RAF Drem and the couple tied the knot in 1942.

The couple’s son, David, was born in January 1944 but, tragically, Robin’s Mosquito Pathfinder was shot down over Belgium only five months later and he was killed.

Elizabeth had to wait until November that year before being officially advised of his death and the location of his grave, in Wevelgem.

Elizabeth would go on to marry Roy Munro, of Edinburgh firm Munrospun, in 1948.

They had two sons, Neil and Dougal, and moved to East Lothian from Peeblesshire.

After moving to the village, Elizabeth joined the late Lady Mary Stormonth Darling to establish Dirleton Gallery, and she continued to run it until she was nearly 90.

From left: great-grandchildren Alexander Hampshire and Isabel Beeny, and grandson Dominic Hampshire with Elizabeth. Image: Gordon Bell

Elizabeth now has eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren – she is the matriarch of a five-generation family.