Pandas Sweetie and Sunshine arrive in Scotland

The first pair of giant pandas to live in the UK for almost 20 years have arrived in Scotland.

Four pilots with "extensive experience" in transporting some of the world's most precious cargo, including white rhinos and penguins, accompanied Tian Tian and Yang Guang (Sweetie and Sunshine in English) on the flight from China.

They were unloaded from the aircraft to the sound of bagpipes and cheers, with the female panda brought out first.

The animals, who were given an in-flight meal of bamboo, apples, carrots and a special “panda cake”, were greeted at the airport by a large media presence, including foreign journalists.

The company said months of preparation and planning had been involved to make the journey possible.

Their arrival also marks the culmination of a five-year effort to bring the giant pandas to Scotland.

They will now have two weeks to settle into their new enclosure before going on display to the public.

It is hoped that the pandas, the first to live in the UK for 17 years, will eventually give birth to cubs.

Zoo bosses have described their arrival as a “historic occasion” for the visitor attraction and the UK as a whole.

The Scottish Government and tourism officials hope the animals’ presence will boost the economy and visitor numbers to the country.

Scottish ministers also said the loan of the pandas symbolises a “growing friendship” between Scotland and China. First Minister Alex Salmond is in China at the moment.

However animal welfare campaigners have criticised the move, suggesting it has more to do with commercial deals and was not a credible way to go about saving the endangered species.

Sweetie and Sunlight were born in 2003 and lived at the Ya’an reserve in Chengdu, China.

During their time in Edinburgh, they will be in the care of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

Online footage of the two animals, from four hidden “panda-cams” in their enclosures, is expected to attract viewers from around the world.

Edinburgh Zoo is to grow about 15% of the bamboo needed to feed the giant pandas. The rest of the plant is to be imported from Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

The eight-year-old breeding pair now have two weeks to settle into their new enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo.

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "I'm delighted by the arrival of pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo today, which is a reflection of the strength of our relationship with China. It shows that we can co-operate closely not only on commerce, but on a broad range of environmental and cultural issues as well.

“These two pandas will not just be a fantastic attraction, but their arrival in the UK will play an important part in efforts to save this magnificent but sadly threatened species.

“I know that a huge amount of work has gone into securing their loan and they will be a great showcase for UK-China links in science and research.”