SCORES of Scouts have taken part in an emotional trip to a Nazi death camp.

A total of 70 youngsters from Paisley, Barrhead and Neilston visited Auschwtiz-Birkenau as part of a two-week expedition in Poland.

And they lit candles in memory of more than one million men, women and children who were murdered at the camp during the Second World War.

Rob Murray, commissioner of Paisley and District Scouts, said: “This was a very emotional day for our young people and adults as they saw and heard about the brutal techniques used by Nazi Germany.

“As Scouts, we promote and stand by values of integrity, respect, care, belief and co-operation. With tragic events happening across the world, we must remember our history.

“As a worldwide family of Scouts, we must continue to promote our values to ensure we have a more peaceful world to grow up in.”

Monica McFarlane, a 15-year-old Explorer Scout from Paisley, was among those who were deeply moved by the visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

She said: “Spending time at Auschwitz hit the whole group on a slightly different level but I think it changed people’s outlook on the whole trip. This put a lot of things into perspective.

“Although we all found it difficult, I feel it was a worthwhile experience that we will look back on for a long time.”

Intended as the first in a series of cultural exchanges, the two-week trip to Poland saw Paisley and District Scouts team up with explorers from Bydgoszcz.

The aim was to learn new skills and forge international friendships which organisers hope will last a lifetime.

As well as visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Scouts spent time in the seaside city of Gdansk and Krakow’s world-famous Wieliczka Salt Mine.