World's oldest football goes on display at the World Cup

One of Scotland's most remarkable sporting treasures is heading off on a World Cup adventure.

The world's oldest football, which was discovered hidden inside a wall at Stirling Castle, has arrived in Florida - the setting for Scotland's group stage match against Brazil.

The ball is thought to be nearly 500 years old, and is around the size of a small melon.

It has been dated to the era of King James V of Scotland and his daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived in the castle as a child.

The ball is believed to date from between 1540 and 1570, and is made from thick leather panels wrapped around a pig's bladder.

It was discovered around fifty years ago, wedged among the beams behind the Queen's Chamber at Stirling Castle.

Nowadays, it can be seen at the nearby Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, but it's making a special trip across the Atlantic for the World Cup.

The ball will be displayed at a local museum in Miami, in Florida, before heading back to Stirling.

Records show that football was popular in Scotland from the 15th Century.

So, could Mary, Queen of Scots - the former Queen of Scotland - have been an early fan of the beautiful game?

Aoife McKenna, from Stirling Smith, explained: "Somebody in the 1540s must have kicked the ball quite high into the ceiling and it got stuck.

"The timeline aligns with Mary, Queen of Scots residing in the castle and of course it was discovered in the Queen's Chambers.

"So we couldn't say for certain, but we like to think that Mary played with this ball."