A 71-year-old grandmother from Scotland is set to make history at the Miss Great Britain pageant this week, BBC News and The Independent reported on Tuesday.

Ann Marie Harper, from Prestwick in Ayrshire, is known to her social media followers as Glamour Gran Ann. She will compete in the Miss Great Britain Classic final in Leicester on Oct. 16. The Classic category is open to women aged 45 and over, so she faces rivals up to 26 years younger. She qualified by winning the Ayrshire contest in June.

BBC News said she will be the oldest contender ever to compete in the national final in the pageant's 81-year history. The Independent said she will be the oldest Scottish finalist.

The 16 finalists will compete in fashion, swimwear and evening wear rounds, along with interviews, the BBC reported. If she wins, she will be the first Scot to take the Classic title.

"I want other women to see that getting older doesn't mean disappearing," Harper told BBC News. "You are still allowed to take up space, try something new, feel beautiful, feel ambitious and surprise yourself."

Harper said she struggled with confidence for years. She told The Independent that teachers in Glasgow called her "daft" because of her learning difficulties, and that she has dealt with severe depression. "It's given me a real boost in my life, to say it doesn't matter what age you are, people can do wonderful things," she told The Independent.

She started her own cosmetics brand at 66. She also raises money for a local charity, the Community Led Action Support Project, which helps people over 50 fight loneliness. "I just want to help people to realise that they're not alone," she told The Independent.

What we know: Harper, 71, will compete in the Miss Great Britain Classic final on Oct. 16.
What we don't: Whether she will win the title.