A CRUISE ship has sailed into Renfrewshire to accommodate delegates attending next month's COP26 climate change conference.

Latvian-flagged vessel Romantika berthed at King George V dock, next to Braehead Shopping Centre, in Renfrew.

A second ship, the MS Silja Europa, is due to arrive from Estonia this week.

Around 30,000 delegates are expected at the Glasgow conference, which has led to concerns over a lack of accommodation.

However, the two cruise ships can accommodate more than 3,300 people between them.

Tallink Grupp, which operates the ships, said the "last-minute" request came at an opportune time.

Chief executive Paavo Nogene added: "It is a great boost for the company and the employees, although of course it is also a huge challenge for us all in terms of the extremely short time we have for preparations, and I know such last-minute agreements put our staff under extreme pressure for delivery.

"I am sincerely grateful to everyone for the valiant effort made and the level and quality of the service we manage to provide, regardless of the immense pressure."

The climate summit will be held from October 31 until November 12.

Earlier this week, the Scottish Government urged people to open their doors to attendees as part of the Cop26 Homestay Network – a programme set up to encourage families to offer a place to stay for free or a low price.