A DOONFOOT couple who tied the knot on 'leap year day' 60 years ago have taken a very special trip down memory lane to mark the occasion.

James and Margaret Crawford were married on February 29, 1964.

And exactly 60 years on from their wedding day - and on only the 15th time they've been able to celebrate on the 29th - they returned to the place where their married life began.

The couple became husband and wife in the parish church in Cardross, near Helensburgh, three score years ago.

And their diamond wedding anniversary was made extra special when today's Cardross Parish Church minister, the Rev Margaret McArthur, agreed at short notice to give James and Margaret a very special blessing in the church.

The Crawfords, who moved to Doonfoot from the south side of Glasgow seven years ago, spent a few days reminiscing in Cardross and the wider Helensburgh area,

Margareg, who grew up in Cardross, told the Advertiser: "I've got so many memories of Cardross Parish Church as I grew up there.

"The whole trip has been very sentimental."

James, who is originally from Glasgow's south side, said: "We wanted to reflect on our actual anniversary - which doesn't happen too often!

"We felt it was important to come here on our 60th."

The pair met at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall in 1963 and have been together ever since.

Memories of their first meeting are still vivid for the couple - not least because of James's generous offer to walk Margaret the 16 miles to her home afterwards, with the pair eventually trekking all the way to Scotstoun in the north-west of Glasgow.

Margaret was aged just 18, and James only 22, when they tied the knot after more than a few dates in Helensburgh.

Their wedding picture was published the following week on the front page of the long-established Helensburgh and Gareloch Times newspaper.

They had their reception in the Kingsclere Hotel, now the Commodore, and spent a week in Aberdeen for their honeymoon.

After their marriage the couple moved to Barrhead, living in the East Renfrewshire town for nine years before moving the short distance to nearby Clarkston.

The family expanded with two daughters and a son, while Margaret and James both kept busy at work - Margaret as a dressmaker, then in alterations, before moving into hairdressing, and finally becoming a care worker.

James began his working life in sales, working for major Scottish companies such as Morton's Rolls, before spending 30 years working as a hackney cab driver in and around Glasgow.

Now retired, and after 47 years in Clarkston, the couple are enjoying the quiet life, having lived in Doonfoot since 2017.

Rather than spending just a day revisiting the Helensburgh area, the couple opted to turn their trip into a short break, rounding off the trip with another visit to Cardross Parish Church three days later for the Sunday morning service - and another chance to remember their special day 60 years ago.