A Buccaneer jet that stood guard over the entrance to Elgin from the 1990s will be used to educate and inspire children in its new home.
The plane became a landmark in the Moray town in its previous home at a petrol station, which carried the name of the aircraft that fought in the Gulf War.
After being purchased by Fife-based Scottish Deer Centre for £28,000, its new custodians hope it will become a key feature of the 55-acre park.
Millionaire owners David Hamilton and Gavin Findlay plan to display it on a replica runway with the help of the RAF Benevolent Fund charity.
And they hope to add a royal touch by asking William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to officially unveil the 63ft nuclear bomber.
The Buccaneer made the 140-mile trip to the Deer Centre in Cupar, via Inverness and Dunfermline, on December 12.
David bought it as an investment after spotting it for sale on Gumtree.
And he spent another £26,000 transporting it to Fife.
It’s currently sitting on a trailer in the car park but a 250-tonne crane will lift it over the trees and onto the new runway at the end of the month.
The nose cone will then be re-attached and dummy missiles inserted.
And it will be used as an educational tool for children from then.
Buccaneer to be restored to its original condition
“It’s well known we’ve bought a Buccaneer,” said David.
“We got talking to someone from the RAF Benevolent Fund and they suggested putting it on a runway.
“They’re going to work with us and there will be a wind sock, lights, numbers etc.”
Once in place, it will be made suitable for visitors to sit in by putting perspex boxes around the engines.
And it will sit among the park’s other vintage vehicles, including an old fire engine and tractors.
Outdoor TVs will eventually show footage of the jet in flight.
“There will be steps up and the kids can get five minutes in the cockpit,” David said.
“A lot of folk have said we’re just two rich boys buying toys but we want this to be an education centre to spark kids’ interest.
“They won’t just be coming to see the animals, they’re seeing the fire engines and saying I want to be a fireman, or the Buccaneer and saying I want to join the RAF.”
For Gavin, the purchase was especially poignant.
His grandfather was in the RAF, based in Canada, and he had tears in his eyes when the Buccaneer arrived last month.
“Now we want to get it back into its original condition,” he said.
“It adds a whole different dimension to the park and the RAF Benevolent Fund will help us get everything looking how it should.”
Armed forces days and the Red Arrows
Eventually, the Scottish Deer Centre hopes to host annual armed forces days.
David and Gavin envisage stalls by the Army, Navy and Airforce alongside the new jet.
And the ultimate ambition is for a fly past by the Red Arrows.
“They could take off from Leuchars,” said David.
“But that’s something we’ve just started talking about and it’s early days.”
The Buccaneer is already proving popular with plane spotters.
And families have been pulling into the car park just to look at it.
Its nine-hour journey to Cupar also sparked a great deal of interest.
It arrived by police escort as the wide load took up two lanes.
“People were following its journey on a tracker and they kept messaging us to tell us they’d seen it,” said David.
“It caused a lot of excitement.”
The Scottish Deer Centre Buccaneer saw active service with the RAF in the first Gulf War in 1991.
It was also used during a UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus, flying at low levels to avoid detection by enemy radar.
