Kirsty Gilmour is favourite to claim a title double at the Bank of Scotland National Junior Under-19 Championships at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre.

The Bothwell youngster, started the new badminton season in style by winning the coveted Langenfeld singles title in Germany and the UK School Games title in Wales.

Kirsty, who has just turned 16, is No. 1 seed in the singles and she joins Mauchline’s Kirsten Geals as favourites to retain the doubles crown.

The other defending champions on parade are Longniddry’s Paul van Rietvelde and Glasgow’s Gillian Sloan in the mixed doubles.

In the boys’ singles Glasgow’s Steven Stewart and Bearsden’s Andrew Gilliland are seeded to meet in the final while Patrick MacHugh of Kinross and Craig Morrison of Motherwell are favourites to lift the doubles title.

But in the Under-15 age group, Josh Neil and Jordan Gilvear are defending champions. Prestwick’s Neil and Edinburgh’s Heather MacPherson are top seeds in the mixed doubles with Neil determined to retain the title he won last year with Glasgow’s Heather Campbell.

However, Langenfeld singles runner-up Neil is chasing a treble. He is top seed in the singles in front of No.2 contender Jordan Gilvear of Falkirk and is No 1 seed in the doubles with Mauchline’s Adam Hall ahead of defending champion Gilvear and Fraser Whillans of Longniddry.

Motherwell’s Heather Morrison is top seed in the girls’ singles where she will be hoping to avoid twin sister Sophie until the final. Sophie is joint third seed along with Heather MacPherson while Lucy Nevin of Duns is second seed.

The Morrison girls are favourites to lift the doubles title ahead of MacPherson and Nevin.

The Under-15 age group has attracted 41 boys and 24 girls while 34 boys and 32 girls will contest the Under-19 events with players coming from Stonehaven and Inverness.