A PROMINENT Largs department store building is up for sale for offers over £225,000 - but tenants Wilkies say they are going nowhere.

The iconic Bath Street store hit hard times last year due to the pandemic, with the owners calling for more government support to help them through lockdown.

Now it has been put up for sale by the landlord - with the firm claiming its lease agreement offers it protection from any possible move to evict them.

Wilkies Scotland managing director Karen Forret this week moved to assure shoppers that they have no intention of leaving the town.

She said: "We rent the property from a landlord but we have a lease in place no matter who takes on ownership of it.

"We have no plans to leave Largs, and even if in five or ten years time there was to be a change of plans by the owners, we would still be looking for another base in the town.

"But we have a legal lease in place and we intend to continue trading where we are as landlords cannot evict tenants under Scots law.

"We have got 15 stores and only own one of the buildings so everywhere else, including Largs, we are paying rent."

The boss says the trading position at Wilkies in Largs remains healthy.

She added: "We are finding that our stores in towns like Helensburgh, Peebles, Castle Douglas and Largs, where people go to visit for the day, are proving very popular as people are now avoiding bigger city centres and public transport, and of course, we do well as we have a loyal local customer base too.

"We have had the Largs store for nearly 25 years and we have evolved in that time to include menswear, footwear and younger people's brands, giving us a lasting, broader appeal."

Agents TSA Property Consultants describe the building as a substantial two storey commercial development.

They say the unit benefits from a prominent glazed frontage with extensive display windows and an open plan sales area.

The News understands Wilkies' lease runs until 2025.

A spokesperson for TSA Property Consultants stated: "The property is situated on the east side of Bath Street at its junction with the A78 within the main commercial precinct of Largs.

"As the gateway to the Isles of Cumbrae, the nearby ferry terminal handles some 750,000 passengers annually. Neighbouring occupiers include Nardini's, Geraldo's, Bank of Scotland and Costa Coffee.

"The property comprises a substantial two storey commercial development of steel framed construction surmounted by a flat roof overlaid in bituminous felt.

"The unit benefits from a prominent glazed frontage with extensive display windows with access gained via a partially recessed entrance leading to an open plan sales area. The first floor is accessed via an open staircase with single return offering further sales area, storage and staff facilities.

"Lighting is provided by way of fluorescent strips recessed within a suspended acoustic tile ceiling."

It has a passing rent of £16,995 per annum.