Toy ship launched from Scotland sails from Africa

A toy ship launched by two brothers in Scotland which sailed to Scandinavia has now set off from Africa.

Ollie Ferguson, eight, and Harry, five, from Turriff, first launched their Playmobil pirate ship from Peterhead.

It sailed hundreds of miles to Denmark, where a family sent it on its way. It then made it to Sweden and Norway.

It was taken aboard the Christian Radich, a Norwegian full-rigged ship, and has now been launched off the coast of Mauritania.

The boys launched the pirate ship in May as part of a bucket list of adventures they have put together.

The ship, named Adventure, needed some adaptations before it was ready to tackle the North Sea.

A counterweight was added to help it stay upright and it was filled with polystyrene to help it stay afloat.

After trials in a swimming pool, they took it to the coast and launched it into the waves.

It carries a message asking anyone who finds the boat to launch Adventure back into the sea.

Their father, MacNeill Ferguson, said: "The Christian Radich have been amazing, they have been really getting into the spirit of the whole adventure.

"It would be nice having a toy pirate ship get to the Caribbean.

"The boys love it. When they come home from school they ask if there is there any news about the ship."