A NEW Zealand woman ‘came home’ to Greenock 400 years after her forefathers left for a new life in the Pacific.

Courtney Crawford, from Auckland, has spent the last 10 years tracing her roots and during a gap year in the UK she finally had the chance to visit the town.

Her great-great-great grandfather Archibald Crawford, a Master Mariner who was in command of his own ship, left these shores back in 1685.

But four generations on, the Scottish blood in Courtney’s family still runs deep.

Courtney, 23, who is working in the hotel trade while staying in Scotland, said: “I really do feel like I have come home.

“It is the final piece in the jigsaw for me.

“I am a fourth generation Kiwi but an 11th generation Greenockian.

“We have never been to Scotland before but there are still plenty of Scottish traits in our family.” Courtney first delved into her family tree at the young age of 14 as part of a school project.

Since then she has continued to trace her roots along with her dad Peter, who is the secretary of the international Clan Crawford Association.

She said: “It has been a fascination with us ever since.” It was a chance meeting with a Greenock man, Colin MacDonald, in Oban that led to her visit.

Colin, there on a weekend break with his wife, got chatting with Courtney and discovered the connection.

Colin added: “I was delighted to invite Courtney to Greenock and show her around. We have really made some great finds.” During her whistlestop tour Courtney met former Provost Ciano Rebecchi, had a look around the historic Municipal Buildings and also managed to find some family gravestones in Inverkip.

Ciano said: “We are always delighted to welcome people to the town and this kind of tourism is something we should do more of.” As secretary of the Crawford association, Courtney’s dad Peter keeps alive the traditions of a clan that has links with all the major figures in Scottish history, including William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobites.