A NEW £200,000 playpark at an Inverclyde beauty spot is looking ship-shape as it opens to the public.

Local schoolchildren were among the first to try the new nautical-themed facility at Lunderston Bay, which features a pirate ship as the centrepiece.

It also has wheelchair-accessible play equipment to ensure the park is accessible for children and young people of all abilities.

Inverclyde Council put up the cash for the facility, built by contractors Hawthorn Heights on land provided by Ardgowan Estate.

The park had its grand opening just in time for the start of the schools’ October break.

Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s convener of education and communities and vice-convener of environment and regeneration, said: “The council has invested heavily in playparks right across the district in recent years and this magnificent development really is the icing on the cake

“This will be a terrific asset for local families and visitors alike and further enhance what is already one of our most visited and best loved attractions here at Lunderston Bay.

“The opening of the playpark comes in the nick of time for the start of the October school holidays and with household budgets being squeezed due to the cost of living crisis, provides a fun, free, healthy activity for families to enjoy while the schools are off.”

Lunderston Bay is one of six sites across Inverclyde that has been upgraded as part of a £400k council investment in new and improved playparks.

The park is the largest single project in the programme.

New equipment has also been installed at Craigend and Wellpark in Greenock, Coronation Park in Port Glasgow, and King Street in Gourock.

There are now 53 council-owned play areas across Inverclyde – an increase of eight over the last decade – and a further 16 facilities in housing estates that are not managed or maintained by the local authority.

The number of inclusive play areas throughout the area now totals 32 compared with five in 2019.

The new waterfront playpark is part of a £540k package of improvements from the council at Lunderston Bay and Inverclyde’s other Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park site at Greenock Cut.

Following a reorganisation of the regional park, which used to be jointly controlled by neighbouring local authorities, the Inverclyde parts and local staff, including the rangers, transferred to the council last year.

The Clyde Muirshiel investment includes grants from national body NatureScot.