Guest house is set to open in Gourock after a popular pub was refurbished

The Albert Hotel has been given a new lease of life after being bought over by Kirsteen Murray.

Kirsteen, who is originally from Greenock, bought the Cove Road premises at auction in November 2016.

The Albert had closed down suddenly in April that year.

It has now been completely transformed and converted back into a guest house following a six-figure investment.

There are now four bedrooms on the middle landing, owners' living quarters on the top level and a top-of-the-range kitchen on the ground floor, just off the bar.

Kirsteen, who works in the health and social care sector, had intended to run the business herself but her plans changed after a 'dream' job came up in Argyll that she could not turn down.

Now she plans to lease The Albert.

She said: "While it is possible in the short-term for me to travel from Gourock, especially in this lovely weather, it is certainly not practical in the longer term, and I shall simply be too far away to run the business myself.

"I'm hoping that this can provide a ready-made opportunity for someone, most probably a couple with the same passion for Gourock, to lease the property and realise their own dreams."

Work started last summer and has taken longer than anticipated but owner Kirsteen believes there is now a golden opportunity for someone to revive the fortunes of one of the area's oldest and best-known pubs.

Kirsteen said: "The continued regeneration of Gourock makes it a beautiful seaside town for tourists to visit for a weekend, while the proximity of Ocean Terminal with its embarking cruise line passengers and the ferry terminal for those travelling to Argyll and the Islands provides a steady flow of visitors.

"The town also hosts a major Amazon site, the headquarters of CalMac and is only three-quarters of a mile from Inverclyde Royal Hospital, ensuring a steady flow of business outside of the tourist season.

"I've been really surprised by the number of local people trying to persuade me to re-open the bar/restaurant and beer garden.

"It's clear that in its heyday The Albert was very much valued and had its own special niche as a destination for those living at the Cardwell Bay end of Gourock."

For more information email welcome@albertguesthouse.com