With its tallest radar mast lowered to fit under the Forth’s bridges, Britain’s new flagship has set sail for its first trials.

The 65,000 ton HMS Queen Elizabeth slowly emerged from its dockyard into the Firth of Forth, bringing traffic to a halt on the road bridge, as car loads of ship enthusiasts tried to get a glimpse.

The largest warship Britain has ever possessed later used low tide to glide under the bridges shortly before midnight on Monday, before anchoring in Kirkcaldy Bay ahead of sailing into the North Sea.