An astronaut’s out of this world idea to catch up with a faraway friend has led to an Angus memento from the space shuttle Discovery’s final mission.
Mission specialist Colonel Alvin Drew became the 200th man to walk in space during Discovery’s recently completed journey to the international space station.
As the former US air force officer orbited the globe his thoughts turned to Earth and Glamis Castle, where he previously met the Dowager Countess of Strathmore.
So, to let the dowager countess know he was thinking of her, Col Drew left a message on her answering machine, now set to be played to Tayside youngsters with sky-high ambitions.
The Glamis connection resulted from the role of the dowager countess as patron of the Tayside Space School, in which former NASA security advisor John Smith, from Kirriemuir, is a key figure.
Between them, the dowager countess and Mr Smith have welcomed a host of astronauts and NASA officials to the area.
Glamis Castle last year hosted the wedding of astronaut Jim Reilly and space school education officer Allison Benjamin, who fell in love when they met at the castle on separate missions to Scotland a few years earlier.
The dowager countess said she was invited by Colonel Drew to witness Discovery’s final launch, but was unable to make the trip.
Although Mr Smith did go over for the November lift-off, delays meant he missed out on experiencing Discovery history.
Mr Smith said, “Alvin has been in Dundee three times and when the dowager countess was unable to make it he was very upset so he asked if he could call her from the international space station.Emailed from space”He then emailed me from space and asked if he could call her, but the problem was that the countess was out at the time, so he left a message on her answering machine.”
The dowager countess said, “I came home to five messages and amongst them was the one from Alvin Drew of the Discovery shuttle crew saying they were over the Atlantic Ocean and wishing myself and my family well.
“It was a wonderful thing to hear and my grandchildren thought it was just amazing.”
The message has been preserved on CD and among those who will be able to hear it are the latest clutch of Dundee and Perth youngsters to have started out on the space school programme.
The dowager countess added, “Glamis is such a historic building that I just thought this was a wonderful example of how it has built a connection with the future through something as amazing as the space shuttle.
“It was so nice for Alvin to take the time to make the call and I hope we will be able to welcome him back to Glamis soon.”
The space age link is also being highlighted with the display of a unique item, which this year’s visitors to the Angus castle are set to enjoy. Following their marriage in the ancient castle chapel last spring, Jim and Allison Reilly gifted the Strathmore family a Christian cross, the circle of which is formed from silver flown on 2007 mission of the space shuttle Atlantis.