GOUROCK'S historic outdoor pool has opened for 2019 - and the party was a real splash hit.

The traditional 'big jump in' took place on Friday afternoon to mark the start of the open-air swimming season.

People of all ages turned up to dip their toe in the heated saltwater for the first time in nearly eight months.

The pool is now open right through until September.

In typical fashion, eager schoolchildren were the first in at 4pm sharp at the launch party on Friday and the sunshine broke through just in time.

There was also a barbecue back on dry land for those who had worked up an appetite after all the fun and games in the water.

Staff at the 110-year-old Albert Road pool have been busy preparing for the eagerly-anticipated opening since the end of February.

As well as sprucing up the paintwork and scrubbing the decks, water was pumped in from the River Clyde over the course of a few days before being thoroughly cleaned, filtered and heated to 29C.

It is expected that the pool will remain open for longer for the third consecutive year.

Inverclyde Council, which owns the facility, has set aside £15,000 towards the extension until the end of September instead of the start of the month.