Hundreds of people have turned out to see the world famous Flying Scotsman arrive in Kent.

Canterbury West station has been packed full of enthusiasts desperate to see the historic steam locomotive in the county for the first time in 50 years.

The Flying Scotsman arrives at Canterbury West station

It departed London Victoria this morning and has now made its first stop at Platform 2 at Canterbury West.

The iconic engine is 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 journey back to London.

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

One of the enthusiasts at Canterbury West, Jonathan Wilson, said: "I'm happy to see the Scotsman come down this way. It's very unusual for it to come through this way. It's a one in 50-year event. I'm very excited to see it.

"The earliest memory I can think of is when I was two and seeing a steam locomotive for the first time.

"I can still remember where I was, the platform I was on, and that it was the colour blue.

"To remember seeing that and then to see something that's world famous today is unbelievable.

"I can't really put it into words but you'll have to see it, and then you'll understand."

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.

Also among the crowd at Canterbury West is Sharon Harvey, who travelled from Margate with her mum Christine Fountain to see the Scotsman.

Sharon said: "We've come down today because we love trains. So we've come down to see the Flying Scotsman coming, just for the day. It's quite exciting. We didn't realise there would be quite so many people.

"It's a momentous occasion. We're going to take photos, have a little view and then go for a lovely lunch."

Sam Miller from Folkestone, came to see the train with her 10-year-old son Nathan.

She said: "Nathan absolutely loves trains. We went to see the Flying Scotsman in Norwich last year and found out it was down here and managed to get some tickets.

"It's coming down through Folkestone, through the tunnels at Dover, that nice expensive bit of track there. It's exciting."

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

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.