How your chance of hitting 100 gets better every day

THE number of Scots celebrating their 100th birthday has risen by 67 per cent in the past ten years, research reveals.

There were 540 centenarians across the country in 2005 but this had risen to 900 last year thanks to better health care, diet and living conditions.

The Office for National Statistics revealed the data in an annual report highlighting the number of ‘very old’ people across the UK, as well as life expectancy.

Of the 900 who reached the milestone, 780 were women and 120 men. Despite the difference, the ratio of male to female centenarians has increased, indicating a closing gap in mortality. In 2005 there were ten men per 100 women aged 100 and older but ten years later this had risen to 15 men per 100 women.

Edinburgh had the most centenarians last year, with 97 people aged 100 or older. The Shetland and Orkney islands both had one person who had celebrated turning 100.

And while Shetland had just 0.4 centenarians per 10,000 people, South Ayrshire had 3.4 – the highest proportion per total population. life expectancy in Scotland is also up. A baby boy can now expect to live for 77.9 years and a girl 81.14 – a rise from 74.22 for boys and 79.24 for girls ten years ago.

However, this is still much lower than the rest of the UK. In England, boys are expected to live to 79.38, while girls born south of the Border should live until they are 83.06 – two years longer than Scots females.

Chrissie Miller, who describes herself as ‘mad as a hatter’, celebrated turning 100 last May with a trip in a hot air balloon.

The centenarian, born in Scotstounhill, Glasgow, said it had been her lifelong dream to drift above the clouds and, bolstered by a dram of whisky, took to the skies.

She added: ‘At my age, if the balloon pops or whatever, who cares? I’m not scared.

‘I’m going to have a word with the man upstairs.’

ruby Mathieson, from Dalmarnock, Glasgow, turned 100 this year – but still retains her youthful glow.

The grandmother of two says she has never used make-up or moisturiser.

She claims she did not even use cosmetics on her wedding day, referring to the products as ‘evil stuff’.