NEIL Oliver has been mocked for a tweet about a spitfire plane that flew over Stirling to thank NHS workers.

The NHS Spitfire flew over Stirling Community Hospital at 10am yesterday morning, with the words “THANK U NHS”.

The plane also flew over hospitals including the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Perth Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Aberdeen Royal infirmary, Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

READ MORE: Neil Oliver claims he is a 'lightning rod' for independence supporters

Neil Oliver tweeted: "Just watched a Spitfire in the long delirious burning blue over Stirling and only wish I might have been aboard, so as to reach out and maybe touch the face of God."

The tweet is a reference to popular poem High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Junior, which details the joy of flying.

The final lines state: "And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod/The high untrespassed sanctity of space,/Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

President Ronald Reagan quoted from the text in his broadcast to the nation following the Challenger shuttle disaster and it has also been used as a recruiting tool by the US Air Force.

Twitter users mocked the tweet, with some saying they weren't sure if the historian is being serious.

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