ONE of Renfrewshire’s most historic pubs has closed its doors after serving the community for hundreds of years.

The Ferry Inn, which has been a Renfrew landmark since the early 1700s, stands in an iconic spot in the town, next to the ferry which travels over the Clyde to Yoker.

Leaseholders Christine and Ian Livingston took over the pub last March and, despite working hard to modernise the building, have now decided it is no longer viable to keep it open.

The pub closed for the final time on Friday, with Christine admitting the state of the building made it impossible to continue.

She has thanked customers for their support and paid tribute to her team of staff for their hard work.

“The past year has been difficult,” said Christine. “We’ve had a lot of issues with the building.

“The alarm system has not been working and we’ve had a number of leaks. It needs a lot of work.

“I am absolutely gutted to be going because I have lived and breathed this place. We have not had any holidays at all.

“My staff have been fantastic. My bar manager really put her stamp on the place and my head chef has been great.”

The watering hole, which sits on the banks of the River Clyde, was crowned the region’s finest pub by Best Bar None Scotland back in 2013.

The Gazette:

The pub was famous as a watering hole for passengers of the Renfrew Ferry 

Christine, Ian and their team made a big effort to attract new customers, such as offering a larger variety of drinks and promoting a family-friendly atmosphere.

However, they reluctantly came to the conclusion that, without “significant” investment in the building, it was not possible to continue trading.

Christine added: “We started off 2018 with huge plans for a run-down little pub with great history and we are so proud of what we have created with the help and support of the best bunch of customers.

“We have exceeded all our expectations and had planned to continue to build our business for several years to come. 

“However, over the past few months, it has become apparent that the building, in its current state of repair, is simply not viable. 

“It is therefore with a very heavy heart that we have decided to cease trading.

“We have still attracted lots of customers and there have been a fair few tears since we announced the closure. There are lots of people who are disappointed.

“We had a sold-out Hogmanay event and went out with a bang on Friday with some live music from Jack Vize, who offered to play for free.”

As well as thanking the local community for its support, Christine has given her staff a glowing recommendation.

She said: “Hopefully they will be able to find alternative posts.”