WEMYSS Bay Railway Station is on track for a bright future after being named the best in the UK.

The station has been honoured in the National Railway Heritage Awards after a recent £4.5m restoration.

There were 55 entries submitted for the competition and Wemyss Bay was deemed best overall entry.

The combination of its unique curved track, glazed roof, circular concourse and long sloping passageway leading to the ferry to Bute were all highlighted by judges.

Network Rail senior programme manager Donald Stevenson said: “Unfortunately the present station built in 1903 fell in to poor condition having been exposed to the elements of its coastal location.

“But in 2014 we started our two-year project of repair works to bring the station back to its former condition.

“These works cost £4.5million and involved extensive canopy works, including replacement of part glazed Georgian wired glass, slate and lead works and repairs and strengthening the roof structures.

“It seemed only fitting that the steel work was painted back to its original Caledonian Railway colours, and I hope everyone will agree that the station looks magnificent.

“I think it looks fantastic, the shocking colour that it was before was horrendous and what we have done is restore it to the original way the architects had it.”

Mr Stevenson says the whole team behind the project are delighted with the award - and he paid tribute to the men who created the building over 100 years ago.

He added: “It’s always good when you think you’ve done a good job but if you get someone that is looking across the whole of the UK and at other projects and they decide that it looks good, it's a big plus.

“I think we should thank James Miller and Donald Matheson, the architect and chief engineer of the Caledonian Railway Company for this wonderful building.

"It’s a fantastic legacy.

“It is with great pleasure that I got to unveil the plaque to commemorate the achievement of the team who carried out the wonderful renovation to the station.

National Railway Heritage Awards Trustee, Andy Savage, unveiled a plaque to mark the award.

He said: “My congratulations to Network Rail and everybody involved.

“The heritage awards are designed to recognise good work and this is a really magnificent renovation carried out by Network Rail.”

In 2017 the station was only one of two to be given a five-star rating in Scotland, the other being Glasgow Central.