THE Waverley is due to depart from Greenock later this morning as she welcomes her first passengers of the 2023 season.

The iconic paddle steamer will leave Glasgow at 10am, heading down the Clyde towards Custom House Quay.

She will leave Greenock at 11.45am, continuing on to Dunoon, Rothesay, and Tighnabruaich, ahead of a cruise around the Bute Coast and Inchmarnock.

Waverley’s opening weekend is set to be a busy one, with further cruises planned for Saturday-Tuesday.

She will visit Greenock again this weekend, leaving at 11.30am on Saturday and 11.45am on Sunday.

The vessel was also seen off Greenock and Gourock last week as she completed successful sea trials.