A HAGGIS has been launched to the edge of space for the first time as Burns Night celebrations reached new heights.

Scottish butcher Simon Howie worked with space education and research firm Stratonauts to launch the 454g haggis in Perth and Kinross this month.

The haggis was attached to a weather balloon and soared more than 20 miles above the Earth – equivalent to nearly four times the height of Everest.

After taking off from the Simon Howie headquarters in Dunning, it travelled over Stirling, Falkirk, Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills before landing safely in Lauder in the Borders.

Howie said: “After a year like no other, we wanted to kick off 2021 by lifting the spirits of the general public.

“We are thrilled to have worked with Stratonauts to take Scotland’s national dish to new heights.

“Burns Night is one of the most important dates on the food calendar for us and we wanted to mark the occasion by sending the UK’s best-selling haggis, the Original 454g, to the edge of space.

“It has been a difficult time and I’m incredibly proud of everyone that works for me, from increasing production to support the supermarkets through the period of panic-buying to the demands of Christmas production and now Burns – we are working round the clock to produce over one million haggis and feed over three million customers our best-selling haggis.

“We hope that our space haggis gives everyone some much-needed cheer.”

The haggis was airborne for two hours and 37 minutes and covered a distance of 52 miles.

It has now been safely transported back to the company’s headquarters, where it will be preserved for years to come as the “first haggis in space”.

Howie said it is hoped the mission, which came ahead of Burns Night on January 25, sparks intergalactic and scientific interest in young people.