At 26, Glasgow native Eilidh MacDonald found herself in her final year of eligibility to compete in Miss Scotland. With some modeling under her belt and the intention of raising money for a worthy cause (not to mention the chance to wear a fabulous dress), she entered the annual competition, winning the title this past November at the Grand Central Hotel ballroom in Edinburgh.
“I had done everything that I wanted to do with my life up to that point,” she explains via email. “I had the job, completed university, moved to Edinburgh, and Miss Scotland would top the whole thing off. So, I thought, what is the absolute worst that could happen? Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to win, so when they said my name, my jaw hit the floor.”
Despite her initial surprise, MacDonald’s roots tell a fitting story. As her name suggests, her ancestry runs deep in Scottish soil. “I don’t think you could get more Scottish than my family. Macdonald is my dad’s family that goes all the way back to the Jacobites. We were the proper Clan Ranald / Macdonald. My dad’s cousins have traced everything back even further to ancient times.”
As such, Miss Scotland is more than a title; it is an opportunity to explore and honour her lineage – a lineage that is also connected to her family’s ongoing involvement with St Andrew’s Hospice, which they endorsed before she even won her title. “We have been involved with supporting the hospice for a number of years.”
After connecting with patients and their families, MacDonald has taken the stories and the cause to heart. “Getting involved completely opened my eyes to the other side of it. I’m going to do everything I can to raise further awareness.”
The Glasgow native is determined to bring the real-life accounts to light and offset the usual perception of such facilities. “It is so important to tell the stories of people and families who have used the hospice – the good, the bad, and the ugly. One of my favourites is of a woman who had kids and a partner but had never gotten married. She had her wedding in the hospice’s chapel with the full wedding dress, flowers, the bridesmaids, family, and friends.
“I was expecting to walk in, and that it was going to be heavy and dark and…it wasn’t. It was unbelievably bright, and the staff and volunteers were all smiling.” MacDonald hopes to raise awareness, along with some funds, to improve the quality of life for residents and support the children’s hospice CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) as well.
Despite using her title for the greater good, Miss Scotland has faced some criticism that the competition belongs to a bygone era. “One of the comments on Facebook was that beauty pageants should be kept in the 1990s, and it’s ridiculous that girls are doing this now,” she reveals. Macdonald firmly disagrees. “I’ve got a degree in international business, and I’ve been given this opportunity to shout about the charities that I’m supporting. The misconception around beauty pageants is completely skewed – it’s not clowning about in a dress.”
The title has also allowed MacDonald to travel and represent Scotland abroad. Yet, as expected, her heart remains with her homeland. “I’ve always loved Scotland; it is my home. I lived in Glasgow my entire life before I moved to Edinburgh in 2024. I love speaking to people about Scotland, and when I get to go to Miss World at the end of May, I’m hoping to drag as many people back here as possible.”
As she moves through the year of her reign, the future beyond it looks promising: “I would love to eventually get into radio or presenting or more modelling as well.”
For the time being, however, she is savoring every moment of this chapter. “I just want to be Miss Scotland forever. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, but for now I am focused on doing the best I can for the role of Miss Scotland.”
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