World famous steam locomotive the Flying Scotsman is coming to Kent.

The iconic engine will be touring the county on Thursday, March 17, giving enthusiasts the chance to spot the historic vehicle.

It departs London Victoria at 8.44am and pulls into Platform 2 at Canterbury West late morning, before going on a round trip via Minster, Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Folkestone West and then onto Ashford International.

It will return to Canterbury West in the early evening for its trip back to London.

The Steam Dreams Rail Co, which is running the trip, says it is the first time Flying Scotsman has journeyed to Kent in at least 50 years.

The company, however, will not publish exact times of when the locomotive is stopping to avoid overcrowding and incidents of trespassing.

"While we understand interest in Flying Scotsman will be extremely high, we urge those wishing to view it to do so from a safe vantage point," a spokesman said.

"It is vital that spectators do not venture onto the railway as a full timetable of regular services will be running."

Tickets for the sold-out trip ranged from £79 to £189 per person, with dining passengers served breakfast and a two-course evening meal.

The Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and has become legendary in the locomotive world.

It ran on the LNER, most notably on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named.

It set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100mph on November 30, 1934.

The engine then set a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles on August 8, 1989, while in Australia.

Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles, the Flying Scotsman gained considerable fame in preservation under the ownership of Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington and finally the National Railway Museum (NRM).

The locomotive also toured extensively in the United States and Canada from 1969 to 1973, and Australia from 1988 to 1989.