THERE was time travel at Glasgow Airport as former staff - and royalty - looked back at 50 years of the transport hub.

Glasgow's airport opened almost five decades ago to the day and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was on hand to help mark the occasion.

She was welcomed to the airport by the sounds of the Royal Marine Band as passing air passengers stopped to stare at the impressive site.

And it was a poignant visit for Princess Anne, coming 50 years after her mother, the Queen, officially opened the airport.

For East Dunbartonshire Provost Una Walker it was also a trip down memory lane.

Mrs Walker, who had been an airport police officer, escorted Queen Elizabeth during the official Glasgow Airport opening ceremony on June 27, 1966.

The provost had been a police officer with the then-City of Glasgow Police but, on becoming engaged, had to resign from the force as married women were not allowed to work.

Instead, she successfully applied to work at the airport - and found herself guarding the Queen's lavatory.

Mrs Walker said: "The airport was much, much smaller then. It's really something to see how it has changed and grown.

"There used to be a restaurant upstairs and next to it were two ladies toilets, which it was my job to guard during the royal visit.

"The Queen came upstairs with her lady-in-waiting- and spoke to me for a short time before going in to the loo.

"I'm quite tall but I was really struck by how tiny she was, how neat and slender.

"My boss at the time came upstairs and told me to go straight in and sit on both toilet seats so that I could say I had been on throne after the Queen."

Mrs Walker refused to be drawn as to whether she carried out her bosses's instructions.

But she did also reveal that an aeroplane accidentally landed at the airport days before it had actually opened.

She added: "There was a glass viewing area where we could see out on to the runways.

"Everyone was very excited to see this plane land - it was quite an occasion then, seeing an aeroplane take off and land, and there wasn't supposed to be one for days.

"It turned out this pilot was on his way to the old airport, at Renfrew, and had taken the wrong turning.

"He was on the radio asking where to go and air traffic control were saying, 'Where are you? We can't see you?'

"He had to take off again and fly the mile down the road."

Mrs Walker also remembered the first celebrity they saw at Glasgow Airport - superstar Lulu flying to perform in London.

Princess Anne was given a tour of the airport by managing director Amanda McMillan.

Her Royal Highness stopped to talk to staff - and one very bemused hen party, who were off to Belfast.

Members of the Glasgow Philharmonic Choir also performed a version of Caledonia before Princess Anne unveiled a special plaque marking the airport’s 50 years of operation.

Representatives of local community groups and charities to benefit from Glasgow Airport’s Flightpath Fund, including Drumchapel Table Tennis Club and Paisley Thread Mill, were also introduced to The Princess Royal.

To date, the fund has awarded more than £1 million to more than 350 charities and community groups since its introduction in 2010.

The widow of the first pilot to officially land at Glasgow Airport, Joan Foster, wife of Kenneth Foster, was also invited to the special event.

Ms McMillan said: “It was an honour to welcome The Princess Royal to Glasgow Airport once again.

“Given Princess Anne’s affinity with the airport, and the fact The Queen herself performed the official opening ceremony 50 years previous, today’s visit was a fitting way to mark our golden anniversary.

“I was particularly pleased The Princess Royal recognised the hard work and dedication not only of those instrumental in our humble beginnings half a century ago, but that she had a clear appreciation of the effort made day in, day out by the people who make Glasgow Airport the success it is today.”

The visit finished with a low fly past of the airport by two RAF Hawk jets.