TV weathergirl to perform as acrobat in Russian circus

But when she clocks off Cat Cubie likes nothing better than zipping through the air as an aerial acrobat.

Now the athletic 30-year-old is set to showcase her skills in a gravity-defying performance with the world-famous Moscow State Circus - the first foreigner ever to do so.

Before she landed the weather job with BBC Scotland, Cat had been accepted on to an aerial arts course in London and was reluctant to turn it down. But she has since enrolled in a circus course in Glasgow that satisfies her appetite for heights.

"I started doing aerial hoop about a year and a half ago," said Cat, who was raised in Morningside.

"I was at an event hosted by some friends and they had some people doing Cirque Du Soleil. I might have had a glass or two of champagne and thought 'I could do that' and mentioned to the organisers that I would like to give it a whirl."

Inspired by this debut, she began circus training in London and has continued building her routines for the last year and a half.

Former George Watson's pupil Cat - daughter of Sir Andrew Cubie, who chaired Scotland's independent inquiry into tuition fees in 2000 - was invited to join the Moscow State Circus for a one-off show after blogging about her love of circus acrobats.

"When I was asked to perform with them I nearly fell off my chair," she said. "For a football fan it would be like getting training from David Beckham.

"I did gymnastics when I was wee and I've always been quite fit from doing various bits and pieces, like yoga. I'm quite flexible and can do the splits, which comes in handy for a circus performer. I've always enjoyed sports and things like that and this was something I really fancied doing."

Asked how she felt about performing with such an iconic circus group, she replied: "It's just amazing, there's quite a lot of pressure but I can't put into words just how amazing it will be and it's such a great opportunity."

John Haze, director of Moscow State Circus, said: "We are very excited at inviting Cat to not only train with us but to become the first ever none Russian person to actually perform in the show. It will certainly be a baptism of fire for Cat and I'm sure she will embrace it with the panache of a seasoned performer."

Cat is also considering trying her hand at roller derby.