PRIMARY school pupils in Perthshire helped Royal Bank of Scotland launch its first £10 polymer banknote – by sending it to the edge of space.

The National:

Children from St Stephen’s and Newhill Primary schools in Blairgowrie joined a team of scientists to take the new note, featuring Scottish astronomer Mary Somerville, 38,500 metres into the Earth’s atmosphere.

The National:

The note, which is 15 per cent smaller than its paper equivalent, contains new security features which make it difficult to counterfeit but easy to authenticate.

The note also features raised braille details to help the visually impaired.

The National:

Mary Somerville (1780 - 1872) was chosen as the face of the new £10 after a public vote on social media. Behind her portrait is an illustration of her hometown of Burntisland, Fife.