AN Inverclyde author hopes his new book will help bring a bygone local area back to life.

Andrew Pearson, 82, says he penned Finding Forgotten Finnart as a tribute and a 'payback' to the area that's been his home for nearly 70 years.

Through his research, Andrew discovered that the area of Greenock from Rankin Park down to Battery Park and across to where the Waterfront Cinema now stands was once known as Finnart.

In the book, Andrew traces the history of the ancient feudal barony, which was completely independent of Greenock town.

The writer says the area was 'swallowed up' by Greenock over a period of time to become part of the Shaw Lairds of Greenock landholding.

Andrew hopes his fascinating book will appeal to anyone who has wondered about the origins of the word Finnart in Inverclyde.

He added: "I've always loved languages and books and I've lived in Greenock for a long time.

"The identity of this particular area, of Finnart, has been eroded over the years.

"It's been forgotten by the populous and by historians.

"I want to try to rejuvenate it and bring it back to life."

Andrew's book examines how Finnart fits into the 16th century politics of Scotland and includes information on characters like architect Sir James Hamilton of Finnart.

The work also looks at how civil engineer James Jardine fits into the story, discusses Greenock's part in slavery and in the sugar plantations in the West Indies, and makes reference to figures including James V of Scotland, inventor James Watt, poet John Galt and author George Blake.

Andrew has lived in Robertson Street since 1977.

He worked in Kincaid's after he left school and worked at Robert Todd's Word & Image printer business for a time, before retiring nearly 20 years ago.

The extensive research and writing project took Andrew more than four years - and he's very proud to now see the book on sale at the Watt Institution.

Finding Forgotten Finnart follows on from his first book, The Slogans and Warcries of Scotland of Old, which was published back in 2011.

Andrew won't be taking any money from the sale of the book and instead wants profits to be put back into the community.

He describes the book as a 'wide-ranging exploration' of part of Greenock's history and hopes it will prompt more people to research the long-forgotten area.

Andrew added: "Heritage is vital for tourism and for instilling a sense of civic pride.

"It can lead to people having the confidence to set up businesses in the area.

"I'm not looking for fame and fortune.

"I just want people to have another look at Finnart."