Massive sections of Britain's first new aircraft carrier were shipped up the Firth of Forth on Thursday, ahead of assembly work beginning at Rosyth.

The massive bow segments, each higher than three double-decker buses, were brought to Scotland from Babcock's construction yard in Devon.

Each will form part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, an aircraft carrier central to the UK's future defence policy which is due to enter service in 2014. A second ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, will also be completed by 2016.

The project has safeguarded work at the docks for a number of years to come and young apprentices watching the ship pieces arrive in Rosyth on Thursday said they represented a huge opportunity for them.

Electrical maintenance apprentice Stacie Clarke, said: "I think this is huge for young people all across Britain, not just myself.

"It's bringing great opportunities for young people everywhere and it's going to guarantee jobs for people for years to come."

Apprentice welder Greg Hatten, added: "This is very important. It gives me ten years work and it's important for the surroundings too. There's quite a lot of people will get jobs out of it.

"I'll be doing my part to the best of my ability. It's massive, it sets me up for life. I could pretty much be here until I retire so this is very important for me."

The total cost of the project is estimated to reach £5 billion.