A Highland cow has boldly gone where no other has gone before – after being blasted into space wearing a tartan suit.
BuzzBo, the world’s first “Coosmonaut”, soared to the edge of the atmosphere to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk and celebrate Scotland’s links to space exploration.
VisitScotland, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary, teamed up with Sent Into Space to propel the cuddly toy on his epic journey.
And he seemed to be milking the limelight yesterday as footage of him lifting off by weather balloon from Gilnockie Tower and landing safely near Cranshaws in the Borders was released.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “For 50 years, we’ve positioned Scotland as a must-visit destination to audiences across the world.
“It is therefore fitting that in our anniversary year, we set our sights even further and headed into space in a truly ‘out of this world’ campaign.
“Scotland is Out of this World offered the opportunity to delve into the past and celebrate the country’s contribution to space exploration and astronomy and its ancestral links to one of the greatest moments in history.”
BuzzBo was named by seven-year-old Peter Lunan, from Dunblane, whose entry won the Name the Highland Coosmonaut competition.
The campaign marks five decades since the Apollo 11 mission and US astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the Moon. Armstrong, who died in 2012, often spoke of his pride at his Scottish heritage.
The ancestral home of Clan Armstrong is Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway.
Alex Keen, of Sent into Space, said: “Launching at Gilnockie Tower was a real treat, given its connections to Clan Armstrong.”
Scotland is Out of this World features Scots connections to each planet, as well as fun facts and details of science centres and the best places to stargaze.
To find out more about BuzzBo’s trip, go to visitscotland.com/out-of-this-world .
