SOME of Inverclyde's most successful school pupils have celebrated their excellent exam results thousands of miles from home.

While hundreds of teenagers were at home waiting for their certificates, others were away on sunshine holidays with their families when the good news filtered through.

In another record year for local pupils, the Tele caught up with two girls who got the good news while on breaks in Spain and Egypt.

Star pupil Amy MacDonald was basking in the sunshine after scoring a set of perfect marks.

The 15-year-old St Stephen's pupil was sent a text message to confirm that she had achieved seven straight 1s in her Standard Grades, plus a grade A in her intermediate music exam.

She celebrated her success by making a big splash with her cousins at a water park in Alicante.

Amy, from Port Glasgow, was enjoying her big family holiday with her dad Allan and mum Lisa when the good news broke.

She said: "I am really happy to get these results. I worked hard and put in lots of effort.

"I am with my cousins on holiday and they were all giving me lots of hugs." The fourth year pupil is staying with her mum, dad, gran Maye, plus uncles, aunts and cousins in a luxury villa.

The teenager hopes to become a vet or doctor and is now set for more hard work as she prepares to study for Highers in English, maths, biology, chemistry and geography next year.

Mum Lisa said: "We are so proud of Amy. A big cheer erupted in our villa when the news came through." The news will also delight her Greenock grandparents Beth and Bill McDonald, who read the Tele every day.

Meanwhile, Amy's dad Allan, who is a maths teacher at Garnock Academy, Kilbirnie, was also waiting on word from a colleague to let him know how his pupils did.

Allan, 42, said: "I go through this every year with my pupils but it is totally different with your daughter. I have been giving her some help with maths but she is so hard-working." Mum Lisa, an accountant, paid tribute to the staff at St Stephen's High for their support.

She said: "The teachers at St Stephen's are just fabulous. They are so committed, giving up their own time for supported studies.

"The school has played such a huge part in her success." Another holidaymaking pupil who had cause for a poolside party was Clydeview Academy's Kate Robertson, 16, from Greenock.

She is on a break with her mum Angela and dad Kenny in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh and was overjoyed to learn she had notched up five grade-A Highers.

Kate had an extra-anxious wait for news when she couldn't get an internet connection to find out her results.

But when it finally flickered into life, the wait was well worth it.

Clever Kate achieved top marks in English, maths, chemistry, admin and history.

Back home, her delighted sister Sara was up at the crack of dawn waiting for a phone call from abroad with the news.

Sara, 20, said: "We are so proud of her. She is such a clever girl - I was in tears for her. It is amazing news." Kate, who hopes to go on to study psychology after finishing sixth year, was thrilled that she was able to share in the excitement of a set of straight As along with her best friend Luisa Davies.

Luisa, of Manor Crescent in Gourock, also secured five top grade Higher passes.

The 16-year-old Clydeview Academy pupil had opted to receive her results in an email - and it dropped into the inbox at 1.10am yesterday morning.

Luisa's run of straight As came in English, French, maths, chemistry and human biology.

Her proud mum Lorna said: "We are so proud. She deserves it - she has worked so hard and is very modest." Luisa now hopes to go on to study dentistry at Glasgow University.

She said: "I never expected to get five As - I am so shocked!"