THIS Saturday and Sunday is Inverclyde’s Doors Open Weekend, when the public get the intriguing opportunity to check out buildings they would be normally unlikely or unable to visit.

Dozens of venues will bare their souls for people to have a peek, and the enterprising Inverclyde Tourist Group will burnish their award-winning credentials with a series of bus tours, including the route of the Heritage Inverclyde Coastal Trail.

Ferguson Marine shipyard and the Inchgreen dockyard have been much in the news recently. Both are new additions to this year’s extensive programme and likely to attract considerable attention.

It’s worth going into the Municipal Buildings to gaze at the amazingly elaborate plasterwork ceiling in the Grand Corridor — and marvel at how they manage to keep it in such pristine condition.

In dramatic architectural contrast, this year’s programme includes a 10th floor flat at Whinhill Court, where you can enjoy a photography exhibition if you manage to tear your eyes away from the spectacular views over the Clyde.

Guided tours of the Greenock Sheriff Court building, court rooms and cell area are being provided for those who are fortunate enough never to have been forced to go there, but often read about its activities and wonder what it’s like behind the Nelson Street facade.

Inverclyde Council’s materials recycling facility is also well worth a call to see how your rubbish is processed.

It’s a fascinating weekend that will open many eyes to an Inverclyde they have never seen before!