A Scots-owned tour boat company in Burma has donated two of its paddle steamers to the relief effort which will be used as floating hospitals in the devastated Irrawaddy region.

The paddle steamers survived the cyclone which destroyed much of the delta area and have now been packed with food and medical aid to help survivors.

The vessels are normally used for luxury cruises in the remote region but with an electricity supply and large storage areas they will serve a crucial function in the emergency response.

Paul Strachan, who lives in Edinburgh, set up Pandaw Tours in 1995. The company took on the trading name of Irrawaddy Flotilla, a Glasgow-based company which ran a fleet of river boats in colonial Burm between 1865 and the 1940s.

The boats which will help deliver aid and treat survivors are replicas of the company's original paddle steamers built on the Clyde.

Mr Strachan, who is due to arrive in Burma today to oversee the operation, said: "The situation is going from bad to worse in the Irrawaddy region. Monsoon season is now setting in and people will be living under water.

"It feels good that we can help in this way. Amazingly, one of our boats was in the area at the time of the cyclone but she survived.

"She is now on standby with a full crew and will be heading to Laputta."

Mr Strachan's company will be working with the Merlin charity to transport 20 doctors and medical staff to the delta region.