Kirsty Gilmour became the youngest ever Bank of Scotland Under 23 National champion in style today, when she won a hat-trick of titles at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh.

The Bothwell 16 year old, who was also awarded with her first cap badge along with Martin Campbell and Paul van Rietvelde immediately before the finals, wasted no time in adding to her already impressive trophy haul by defeating Fiona Archibald (Larkhall) 21-11 21-10 in the final of the U23 ladies’ singles.

Gilmour followed that up with victory in the ladies’ doubles when she partnered Mauchline’s Kirsten Geals to a decisive 21-6 21-6 victory over second seeded Glasgow pair Lisa McMullen and Gillian Sloan, before taking the mixed doubles with Lanark’s Kenny Young, beating top seeds Geals and Gordon Hoggan (Dunfermline) 21-16 21-13. 

Martin Campbell (Edinburgh) and Angus Gilmour (Troon) took the honours in the men’s doubles, overcoming Hoggan and Duncan Leith (Kirkliston) with a 21-18 21-11 victory. But there was some consolation for Hoggan when he won the men’s singles title, beating Glasgow’s Stephen McPhail 21-13 19-21 21-16 in a pulsating final match.

For Gilmour it is the latest in a long line of successes which this season have included victory in the Under 19 Bank of Scotland Championships, the International Langenfeld Cup and the UK School Games, as well as winning her first senior international caps in February when she helped Scotland reach the quarter finals of the European Women’s Team Championships in Poland.

There was also a treble in the Under 17 events for Matthew Carder (South Queensferry). He began by winning the singles with a 21-17 15-21 21-13 final victory over Edward Cogliano (Edinburgh) before taking the boy’s doubles with Gregor McVean (Mauchline), triumphing 21-14 21-17 in the final over second seeds Neil Atterbury and Rajan Bhopal (both Edinburgh). And in the last match on court, Carder partnered Rebekka Findlay (Erskine) to a 20-22 22-20 21-17 victory over Lewis Gallacher (Kilmarnock) and Caitlin Pringle (Clarkston).

Unseeded Emma Cook (Mauchline) took the Under 17 girls singles title when top seed Findlay was forced to retire at 19-15 down in the first game. Cook also teamed up with Pringle to take the girl’s doubles title with an 18-21 21-10 24-22 victory over Haddington duo Hannah Laing and Megan Richardson.

In the Under 13 age group there was yet another treble, this one for Julie MacPherson. The Edinburgh youngster won the first of her three titles with a 21-14 21-10 win over Tammi Gibson (Mauchline) before teaming up with Erskine’s Sarah Findlay to victory in girl’s doubles, again courtesy of a victory over Gibson and her partner Holly Newall. She topped off a stunning weekend with victory in the mixed doubles partnering Struan Ross (North Kessock) to a 21-17 21-13 win in the final against Findlay and Alex Dunn (Motherwell).

Stonehaven youngster Mark Leith upset the odds in the singles when he toppled his doubles partner and top seed Dunn in the semi final, before going on to a 21-17 21-12 win in the final over second seed Calum MacMillan (Mauchline) to take the title. There was some consolation for Dunn when he teamed up with Leith in the doubles to beat second seeds Ross and Andrew Thomson (Lanark) 19-21 21-15 21-17.

In recognition of his achievements, Leith was also awarded the prestigious Moira Skene Trophy, presented to the player who is judged to have produced the most meritorious performance during the tournament, whilst the Donella Crawford Memorial Award was presented to Cathy McLachlan of Lochwinnoch in recognition of her outstanding contribution to coaching young people in badminton.

All attention will now turn to the Bank of Scotland Under 11 National Championships, to be held at the National Badminton Academy, Scotstoun, on Saturday 5 June.

For a full set of results from this weekend click here