Lost Aberdeen football washes up 1,000 miles away off Norway

The ball was found by Nils Hugo while he was looking for driftwood

A football belonging to an Aberdeen club has been found more than 1,000 miles away, washed up off the far north coast of Norway.

The under 19s team ball went over a fence at Banks o' Dee FC's ground into the River Dee.

It is thought to have been swept into the North Sea and drifted around the coast of Norway to the island of Vanna.

The club was emailed to say the ball, with its name on the side, had been found.

The ball was found Nils Hugo on 6 April while he was looking for driftwood on the beach.

He told his friend Johnny Mikalsen of his discovery, who then tracked down the owners of the ball from the club's name scrawled in pen on the side of it.

"Hi! You properly have one of the best long distance kickers in the world," he wrote. "A friend of mine found a football with your club name on by the seaside.

"It has travelled quite a distance. We are located 1,800km (1,118 miles) north of Aberdeen, on an island called Vanna, 10km [six miles] north of Tromso, the capital of North Norway.

"The football is just a little bit dirty after such a long distance, but fully useable. See enclosed picture."

Mr Mikalsen told BBC Scotland he is planning to visit Scotland, adding: "Maybe it's possible to bring it over. That would be nice."

Tom Ewan of Banks o' Dee FC called the ball's epic journey a Norse saga

Banks o' Dee secretary Tom Ewan said the news came as a pleasant surprise.

"It's the Norse saga of the long distance football," he said.

Mr Ewan said most of the balls that go into the river are never seen again.

The club hopes to be reunited with this one - and may invite its Norwegian finders to be guests of honour at a game.