Annie Lean

Annie Barrie Lean (née Beattie; born 3 November 1909) is a British centenarian who has been the oldest living woman in Scotland since the death of Marjorie Burton on 12 November 2018.

Biography
Annie Lean was born in Fushiebridge in the parish of Borthwick at 5:45 a.m. on 3 November 1909. Shortly after she was born she and her family moved to the nearby village of Temple - which at that point had no electricity or a sewage system. In Temple, when a doctor was needed, they would arrive on horseback because there were no cars.

Lean's father worked at sea for many years - but later became a coal miner. Her mother worked as a midwife who delivered 92 babies and lost none. Lean's mother was known in the village for cooking broth for those who were ill.

During her youth, Lean became accomplished at sewing, knitting, embroidery, dressmaking, cooking and baking. At school, she was the top of her class. After school, she first became a companion to a doctor's wife, followed by a period working for the shipping company Salveston as a silver table maid.

Lean married Tommy Lean in 1932, and they moved to Dalkeith. Tommy Lean was elected to the local council as a Labour councillor, and Annie Lean was very active behind the scenes.

Lean had four children - three sons and a daughter. When her husband retired the couple moved to Galashiels to set up a bed-and-breakfast establishment. At Galashiels, Lean learned to swim - and - at age 74 - swam a marathon over several days. Lean helped run the bed-and breakfast at Galashiels into her octogenarian years.

After retiring from running the bed-and-breakfast - Lean and her husband relocated to a bungalow in Newtongrange. Tommy Lean died in 1990.

Lean drove until she was registered blind at age 90. She also sold her bungalow around this time and moved to a residential home in Musselburgh. She eventually returned to Dalkeith at age 99 - moving into a residential home there - where she still currently lives.