IN their day, the three blocks of multi-storey flats in Greenock were the height of modernity and hugely popular.

For their new tenants, they were a welcome relief from the dilapidated and rundown tenements they had escaped.

But times change and and in recent years, the high rise homes have fallen out of favour.

Part of the problem is that the 1960s blocks have electric heating which is expensive to run and the exteriors of the buildings looked tired and dated.

All that is about to change with a £26million scheme to upgrade the multi-storeys and the surrounding Broomhill area.

In a bid to remind local people of what the flats have to offer, one on the 10th floor of Whinhill Court is to throw open its doors for Doors Open Day later this month.

It will be the first time Inverclyde based housing association River Clyde Homes has taken part in the hugely popular event which runs across Scotland.

Visitors to the flat will be able to see not only the stunning views of the river but also plans of the regeneration work being carried out.

There is also an exhibition of 12 photographs by the locally acclaimed but anonymous photographer who runs the Dark Side o' Inverclyde site on Facebook which has attracted almost 3000 likes.

The evocative black and white pictures focus on the Broomhill area and on what can be found behind the facade of some of the buildings.

River Clyde Homes board member Ronnie Ahlfeld said: "Broomhill is one of the biggest regeneration projects in Scotland at the moment.

"Doors Open Day is a brilliant initiative that takes place across Scotland giving people a chance to see behind the keyhole of buildings not normally open to the public.

"I think people might be surprised. Our hope is they will come and see for themselves the quality of the Broomhill flats and how spectacular the views are.

"Aside from the exclusive exhibition of photography and the chance to win a print, there is a chance for visitors to see our plans for the area's regeneration - a project that is now well underway."

The work at the multi-storeys will involve all three being re-clad and a £9m district heating installed to replace the expensive electric heating with low cost power.

Once the works are complete, the area will look transformed and will provide modern homes in an area with an improved local environment close to Greenock town centre.

The flat in Whinhill Court will be open between 11am and 4pm on September 12 and 13.

The Greenock multi-storeys join a number of unusual venues opening to the public for the first time.

Inverclyde Council plans to celebrate its maritime heritage by opening two new venues as part of the event.

The public will be able to visit Inchgreen dry-dock in Greenock, one of the largest dry docks in the world and Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow, the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde.

In Glasgow, the free festival celebrates the city's buildings, streets, parks, architecture, history and people with a programme full of walks, tours, talks, events and more than 100 buildings open for anyone to visit. For one week, doors are opened and the public is encouraged to explore the city in a new way.