ICONIC cruise ship Queen Elizabeth gracefully glided into Greenock for the first time today.

The luxury liner, the second largest in Cunard's history, made her grand entrance along the Esplanade, berthing just before 8am. As she arrived in the rain, she was greeted by the Prinsendam - which was sitting off Gourock, having remained here overnight due to poor weather - and the two cruise ships exchanged noisy greetings.

Passengers on-board Queen Elizabeth had sailed from Invergordon as part of a round Britain trip. Around 90 holidaymakers set to board the new cruise ship in Greenock today are also set to make the return journey in equal style - by sailing home on board Cunard's giant Queen Mary 2, which is due in town on 16 September.

Clydeport's general manager Andrew Hemphill is thrilled that Greenock is on Queen Elizabeth's itinerary during her maiden season.

Mr Hemphill said: "We are delighted she's chosen to visit Greenock - she's not even a year old and she's coming here.

"I saw her at South Queensferry and she looked magnificent.

"It's an important visit because of the history Cunard has with Greenock.

"It's not just another ship - there's a lot of history connected to the town." The stunning liner, which was built in Italy, has 12 decks and can carry just over 2,000 passengers.

She boasts a branch of Harrods within a 'Royal Arcade' shopping area, plus a library with some 6,000 books on its shelves.

One of her many other attractive features is a beautiful panel sculpture that spans two and a half decks, in addition to the grand stairway which depicts the port bow of the original Queen Elizabeth.

The quayside wasn't open to the public to see the stunning ship because of operational reasons, but passengers received the usual warm welcome.

Mr Hemphill said: "Greenock is certainly on the map. The feedback we get from passengers is that we're one of the best ports, even when compared to the more iconic ones. We punch way above our weight." Cunard bosses say Greenock is a favourite port because of nearby sightseeing opportunities and the company's historic links with the Clyde.

A spokesman for Cunard told the Tele: "We often have ships coming into Greenock, it's a very good port for passengers.

"There are plenty of day trips on offer to Loch Lomond or Glasgow and Cunard has a strong history with the Clyde, with 25 out of 100 of our ships built there." Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to set sail around 5pm this evening.