Inside the sanctuary where the UK's only Giant Pandas are being transported and their incredible journey to get there

The UK's only giant pandas will begin their long journey to a state-of-the-art sanctuary in China today, having spent the last 12 years in Scotland. 

The two pandas, named Yang Guang and Tian Tian, came to Edinburgh Zoo in 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement, which was extended by two years, between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. 

Visitors said there goodbyes to the bears on Thursday, November 30, with the zoo then beginning preparations for them to return to the China Wildlife Conservation Association base at Chengdu. 

The base, founded in 1987, claims to be a 'world-class research facility, conservation education center, and international educational tourism destination', winning the Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement, the UN's highest environmental award, twice. 

Covering more than three square kilometers, the base has several luxury panda 'villas' are tucked into the mountains and forests, allowing the bears to live together in the region with countless trees, streams and bamboo plants, as well as over 700 species of plants and animals. 

To take the pandas to their new home, Edinburgh Zoo's blacksmith Rab Clark has constructed two bespoke metal crates complete with sliding padlock doors, pee trays and removable screens so the keepers can check on them during the flight to Sichuan.  

The crates are 190cm long, 146cm high and 127cm wide, which the bears have been getting used to in the last few weeks. 

Mr Clark told BBC News: 'Although they look small, there's actually quite a bit of room for them inside, it's not tight.

'The keepers tell me what they're looking for and what's required so we work as a team to see what's best for the animal. 

'I think they'll be fine. I'm sure they'll have a safe journey.'

The pandas have been in quarantine since the start of November and will also spend time in quarantine when they arrive in China to comply with animal health regulations. 

The two bears have regular vet checks, including blood and faecal sampling, to ensure they are healthy and do not take any disease into China. 

A low-loader transporter has been hired to transfer the pandas from the zoo to Edinburgh Airport, which left this morning. The pandas are usually late risers, so staff at the zoo had been gradually bringing forward their wake-up time to get them used to earlier starts. 

The exact time was kept secret to reduce the chance of disruption from crowds of well-wishers or protest groups, as many feel zoo should never have taken the pandas in the first place.

The panda crates will be loaded in by fork lift at stand 12 by Edinburgh Airport's terminal building. 

The 13-hour flight will have a Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) keeper and vet, a Chinese keeper and airline official sat behind the pilot and co-pilot, while the rest of the seats have been taken out of the specially chartered China Southern plane. 

The pandas will have health checks, food and water during the flight but the humans on board will have to heat up their own meals in the on-board microwave because there will be no cabin crew. 

The RZSS keeper Michael Livingstone will give the pandas crate keys to the Chinese keeper and the pandas then become the responsibility of the Chinese, before they are placed in quarantine again. 

RZSS staff are planning to visit Yang Guang and Tian Tian next year to check in on them.