Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, its the German daredevils who flew from Bavaria to Scotland in a balloon

It was a mysterious flying object which attracted a record number of watchers on a flight tracking website.

Some thought it might have been an escaped weather balloon while others felt the sight was something more sinister.

But it has now emerged the balloon belonged to an intrepid German adventurer who was flying to England and then onwards to Scotland in a hot air balloon.

Thrill seeker Kolja Packared fulfilled a long-held desire to visit Scotland as he touched down near Edinburgh earlier this week.

He and fellow-traveller Wuzi Wagner made a 44-hour journey through the skies from Burgkirchen an der Alz, in Bavaria, southern Germany.

Along the way, their trip became one of the most watched on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Kolja Packared and Wuzi Wagner made a 44-hour journey from Bavaria to Scotland

Kolja Packared and Wuzi Wagner touched down near Edinburgh following their epic flight

Nonplussed Brits also watched in wonder as the hydrogen-filled balloon floated high above their towns and cities.

The pair had planned to take off from Burgkirchen and travel across France and Belgium before crossing over the Channel to reach England.

However, as 42-year-old aircraft engineer Mr Wagner told the BBC, their aim after that was merely ‘to go up north as far as possible’.

As it turned out, they made it all the way to Scotland, landing at the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian on Wednesday afternoon having travelled more than 860 miles.

The flight from Germany took the men 44 hours. Picture: FLIGHTRADAR24

Mr Packard, 51, said travelling to Scotland had been a long-term ambition, adding that he and Mr Wagner were looking forward to some sightseeing before returning to mainland Europe by ferry.

Alongside a series of pictures from their sky-high journey, Mr Packard wrote: ‘We have crossed the border to Scotland! A long-held dream.’

Their journey was also mirrored to an extent by their ‘chase crew,’ who drove from Germany to Scotland to support the effort.

The pair were sustained during the long-distance trip with bread, cheese, cereal bars, and water.

The journey was part of the pair’s preparation for a long-distance gas balloon competition this year.

Mr Packard is the current world record holder after flying for more than 100 hours last year and hopes to secure an even longer journey time at this year’s event.