HOME time is nearing for Greenock-based Waterloo Road as the last ever episode of the Greenock-based show is broadcast tonight.

Fans and cast members have been telling of their sadness at the end of an era but one of the longest-serving characters says she feels ‘lucky’ to have been part of the show in Inverclyde.

Rebecca Craven, who plays pupil Rhiannon Salt, says she has loved living and working in Greenock.

Tonight’s finale is the 200th episode and marks exactly nine years of the school drama, which first transmitted on 9 March 2006.

During its time in the former Greenock Academy a list of star names have walked through the gates on Madeira Street, including Chelsee Healey, Zoe Lucker, Laurie Brett, Angus Deayton and Neil Pearson.

The Tele also made several appearances on screen following Waterloo Road’s move to Greenock around this time three years ago — and it features again in this evening’s last episode too.

Welsh actress Rebecca, 23, today paid tribute to Inverclyde and locals for their role in a ‘whirlwind’ few years.

Rebecca, left, told the Tele: “I joined the cast in the first episode when we moved to Scotland and I absolutely loved i.

“It was a crazy process, I had to drop out of drama school which was amazing for me to get a professional job in the middle of my training.

“I’d never been to Scotland before so it was amazing. Greenock for me is really special because I am from quite a small in South Wales called Neath and it’s literally like home from home.

“Even although the transition was hard being away from London and being away from my family I got used to it straight away.

“Everyone made me feel really welcome, it was really awesome.” But it wasn’t all work and no play for the cast, especially the younger members who lived in Greenock next to the James Watt Dock Marina during filming.

They were regularly spotted out and about across Inverclyde and Rebecca loved every minute of it whether working at Madeira Street, out on location or at her local The Point.

She said: “Greenock’s got such beautiful scenery. If we ever popped into the Oak Mall you would always get stopped, it was just really mad.

“But all the comments we got were always supportive and people said they loved having us here and it boosted business and stuff because we filmed a lot of scenes on location.

“It was a family and even now for me it’s still that feeling of I can’t believe I’m never going back — I honestly had the best time ever and learned so much and I do count Scotland as a second home now definitely.” The final episode tonight will see pupils rally in a bid to stop Waterloo Road’s planned merger with rival school Havelock High — and show bosses have promised a ‘fitting’ end to the long-running drama.

Waterloo Road is on BBC Three at 8.30pm and repeated at 10.45pm on BBC One.