CHILDREN in Inverclyde are in line to receive funding in order to allow them to visit one of the biggest attractions in the West of Scotland.

The Scottish Maritime Museum has announced that travel subsidies are being made available for early years centres and primary schools in Inverclyde visiting the award-winning attraction on Irvine harbourside.

The grant, that will see nurseries and/or primary schools given bursaries of up to £300 looks to allow kids the chance to get a hands on with STEM principles and discoveries all whilst handling real historical objects.

Claire Munro, Learning and Access Manager at the Scottish Maritime Museum, said: “Our travel subsidy programme is always very popular so we’re urging interested schools to get in touch soon and book their trip to our vast Museum and educational resource on Irvine Harbourside.

“School visits were up 60% last year. We’re thrilled that more and more schools are visiting and seeing how much there is to do and learn through our fun, curriculum-linked and interactive sessions.

“As well as seeing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) principles and discoveries in action, pupils can handle real historical objects and take part in a variety of fascinating and topical workshops.

"These now include our new Ocean Taskforce workshop which addresses one of the important issues of our time.

“Schoolchildren can also explore the vast Linthouse, a Grade A listed 19th century former shipyard building, tour the 1920s Shipyard Worker’s Tenement Flat and pop into the Museum’s Fitting Shed to learn about the Industrial Revolution.”

The news comes after the centre experienced a 60 per cent increase in footfall over the course of the last academic year.

The museum has also moved to update popular courses put on to kids currently in early/first and second levels of education as the centre prepares to welcome attendees over the course of the year.