Three-day visit marks milestone in twinning partnership

To start their visit, Midlothian Provost Debbi McCall hosted a special reception for the 22 visitors at Rosslyn Chapel.

In her speech, Provost McCall said she hopes the arrangement will continue for many years.

She said: “A warm welcome to our honoured guests. Midlothian Region has been twinned with Kreis Hensberg, an area in the Cologne district of Germany, since 1973.

“Over those 50 years, we’ve forged strong ties and taken the opportunity to learn about each other’s countries and cultures.

“We’re looking forward to 50 more years of friendship, shared experiences and discoveries.”

Led by Erwin Dahlmanns, the Chairman of the Twinning Committee and Deputy District Administrator and General Deputy of the Kreis Heinsberg district, Philipp Schneider, the delegates enjoyed a packed programme over the weekend.

Their itinerary included some of the best-known sights in the area, with tours of the National Mining Museum Scotland at Newtongrange, the former seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch at Dalkeith Palace and Edinburgh Castle.

Mr Schneider expressed enthusiasm for the visit and also praised the success of the twinning arrangement with strong bonds formed between the two communities, with reciprocal visits involving thousands of people over the last half-century.

He said: “We are delighted to be here in Midlothian to mark 50 years of friendship. More than 10,000 people have take part in our exchange programme and there’s has been 21 Friendship Festivals. Twinning helps foster international understanding, breaking down prejudices and helping us all get to know each other.”

In the picture (l-r) are: Erwin Dahlmanns, the Chairman of the Twinning Committee and Deputy District Administrator, Provost Debbi McCall, General Deputy of the Kreis Heinsberg district Philipp Schneider, Council Leader Councillor Kelly Parry, Depute Consul General Holger Theissen of the German Consulate in Edinburgh and Depute Provost Douglas Bowen.