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Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Midlothian, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Callander, praised the fortitude of Rita’s generation, whose early adulthood was dominated by the Second World War. Rita recalled arriving in London, aged just 17, to take up her first post in the Civil Service – on the very morning that Britain declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939.

During the Blitz that followed, she remembered nights spent on fire-watching duty and seeing bombs drop out of Hitler’s planes.

Born and raised in Musselburgh, Rita later lived in Penicuik and has now lived in the same house at Eskbank for nearly 50 years.

Rita Macdonald's 100th birthday on April 3 with family, friends and the Provost and Lord Lieutenant, at Melville Castle.

She was joined at lunch by her brother, John, also of Eskbank. Wearing wartime decorations earned in the Fleet Air Arm, John Menzies was also celebrating his birthday on the very same day – though he is a mere youngster of 97!

Rita has been a stalwart of the Guides since the 1930s and has been recognised for her long service by the Trefoil Guild. Inspired to explore, she headed to the continent in the mid-50s in an ancient Wolseley, the first of many intrepid road trips around France and beyond.

Still driving her own car well into her 90s, Rita also became a frequent flier, visiting her son Alastair on his journalistic postings abroad. Now, she says, she’s “looking forward to many more adventures” in her second century.

Midlothian Provost Councillor Peter Smaill noted that Rita had been a Midlothian woman all her life as she was born in Musselburgh half a century before the town was transferred into East Lothian.

“Midlothian would like Musselburgh back!” joked the Provost.

Blitz, Guides and roaming: Eskbank woman toasts 100th birthday