BARROW has played a significant part in the long and colourful career of iconic steam locomotive Flying Scotsman and now you can have a ride behind it with The Mail.

The first opportunity is on Saturday, May 12, when a coach leaves pickups at Barrow, Dalton, Ulverston, Haverthwaite and Grange on a day trip to Bury.

Here you will ride behind Flying Scotsman on the East Lancashire Railway.

Tickets cost just £49 per person and you can find out more by calling in at reception at The Mail, Newspaper House, in Abbey Road, Barrow, or call The Mail's Readers' Travel team on 01229 840176.

The Mail also has a special three-day reader holiday, which includes a Flying Scotsman trip during the locomotive’s visit to the Nene Valley Railway later in the year.

This coach holiday, which includes free time to explore historic Cambridge and two nights at a hotel, leaves pickup points in Furness on September 27 and costs from £230.

Back in 1978 Barrow shipyard workers tackled a restoration project on Britain’s best-loved piece of railway history.

The Flying Scotsman – then based at Steamtown in Carnforth - arrived in Barrow on December 12 in 1977 for a boiler refurbishment project.

The locomotive was saved for the nation in 2004 after it came up for sale for the fourth time.

It was built in Doncaster during 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway and was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley.

In 1924 the locomotive was selected to appear at the British Empire Exhibition in London

The Flying Scotsman’s traditional route was 390 miles (627 km) of East Coast Main Line, between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh.

Travellers with The Mail in September will take a 70-minute return trip to Peterborough behind Flying Scotsman, starting from the Nene Valley Railway’s Wansford station.

The railway has featured in many films and TV series, including the James Bond films Octopussy and Goldeneye.

Nene Valley railway closed to passengers in 1966 and to freight in 1972 before a preservation group brought in heritage locomotives to run passenger services again from June 1977.

You can find out more about The Mail’s Flying Scotsman reader offer by calling in at reception at Newspaper House, Abbey Road, Barrow, or you can call 03300 130051 and quote OMRT or visit the website at omegabreaks.com/RT