THE world famous Waverley has returned to Greenock to be made ready for her busy summer season.

The globe’s last sea-going paddle steamer is currently in dry dock for annual maintenance to ensure she is shipshape for all her guests.

As well as all the usual checks to ensure that the Waverley is set to sail, her iconic towering funnels have also been repainted.

With the first sailing from Greenock set to take place on May 25, Captain Andy O’Brian is encouraging the people of Inverclyde to come aboard.

Andy was the skipper of the Waverley for 10 years before leaving in 2015.

When Waverley found herself without a captain his loyalty kicked in and he decided to return.

He will now be at the helm for most of the summer sailings and is looking forward to it.

He said: “We sometimes call Waverley the Hotel California — it’s like the line from the song, ‘you can check out but you never leave’.

“It becomes more than a job.

“It’s a charity and we all work hard to make it work.

“Being in Greenock is like being in for an MOT to ensure the Waverley is fit to sail.”

With the Waverley proving popular with generations of families, Captain O’Brian is hopeful of seeing more people turn out to enjoy an afternoon on the Clyde Coast.

He said: “Her appeal has never gone away, generation after generation have been on board and we hope this continues.

“But it all depends on the weather so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a good summer.”

Waverley was built in 1946 and sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973.

She has been restored to her 1947 appearance and now operates passenger excursions around the UK coast.

Summer sailings are available to book by visiting www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk