BE PREPARED for top treatment if you come on a Scouting trip to West Fife!

Two international Scout groups – from Belgium and Germany – were in Dunfermline on Friday and were given a civic reception at the City Chambers.

One of the groups hailed from Dunfermline’s German twin town of Wilhelmshaven while the other was a troop of Explorer Scouts from Belgium who were being hosted by the 83rd (Cairneyhill) Fife group.

Cairneyhill Scout leader, Callum Farquhar, said the visitors had enjoyed the special occasion and the visit to Dunfermline and West Fife.

“The group from Wilhelmshaven in Germany was a mixed group with some scouts and some from other youth organisations and they were being hosted by the the 26th Fife Scout group who visited them last year,” he explained.

“The other group was a group from Belgium who were in Fife for a week.

“Friday was Belgian National day so we felt it was appropriate to have the civic reception at the city chambers."

Callum continued: "After the civic reception, both visited the Abbey and the Belgians took part in the archaeological dig there.”

The international links are set to be strengthened again as the Cairneyhill Scout group are hoping to meet up with their guests in October when they are planning to organise a return visit to Belgium.

Dunfermline is twinned with four European cities, Wilhelmshaven, Logrono in Spain, Trondheim in Norway and Vichy in France.