LOCAL shops have reacted with delight to a recent survey that found that Largs was the second best value seaside destination in Scotland.

As we reported last week, Largs beat other resorts such as Oban, North Berwick, Brighton and Bournemouth.

Les Ward, who has been running a discount shop in the town centre for over 40 years, hopes the report will result in an influx of visitors to the town this summer after a difficult few years.

He said: "This is great news for Largs.

"We actually took a wee punt financially on stock mainly targetting tourists and daytrippers.

"If a family of four can come to Largs cheaper than they can North Berwick or Oban, then they are going to come to Largs. It is a no-brainer.

"We get a lot of English holidaymakers up here too throughout the summer, so to beat Brighton and Bournemouth is massive.

"I call Largs the Scottish Riviera so it makes it all the better that you can come here and get great value.

"If you can come to Largs and save money on fish and chips, ice creams and accommodation, then it puts us in a good position to capitalise.

"We have our big events in the town such as Largs Live and Viking Festival. The big event in Oban is the oyster festival and they get a massive crowd for that.

"Maybe we should have a fish supper equivalent or an ice cream festival as Largs is famous for both.

"Having been here for four decades, we know what people will pay - and people are now looking to make their pound go further than ever before."

Scott Paton, who runs AD Patons Butcher, is part of the Largs Events team which works to boos the town's profile.

He said: "That is good news as Largs has a lot of independent shops - and hopefully it is something that the town can benefit from.

"Now we are getting some nice weather, more people are tempted to come down for a visit.

"Since the rail strikes we have certainly noticed it is a lot quieter in the town, so it is good these are over and we can try and build up some momentum again. To feature so high in this survey will hopefully bring people from the central belt to Largs.

"The last few weekends, including Mother's Day, have been busy and hopefully once the roadworks are out the way in Fairlie this weekend, we can look forward to a good summer.

"The outlook is certainly brighter than that of the last few years."

The study, carried out by Independent Cottages, put Largs in 25th place for best value coastal day out in the UK, with Portobello Beach tops in Scotland at 23rd.

Other Scottish coastal destinations to appear on the list were Ayr, Helensburgh, Nairn, Oban, and Dunbar, at 29, 46, 49, 52, and 58 respectively.

The survey was based on the average price of a fish and chips, the average price of a single scoop of ice cream and the average cost of a rental property.