The Vale of Leven Hospital tea bar has reopened after being closed for years.

The cafe, operated by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is now open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.

Pauline McGonagle, shop manager at RVS, said: "People often have to travel quite a distance to attend the Vale and sometimes they’ll arrive early thinking they’ll have issue with parking.

"That’s not really the case at the Vale, and in winter you often see people sitting waiting in their cars.

"Now they can come in and get a seat in the Tea-bar and a hot drink, which is a much better way to prepare for their appointment than sitting in the car park."

Since the cafe reopened on Monday, August 12, there has been a steady stream of visitors and staff.

Andy Roberts, retail support manager for RVS Scotland, said: "We had a great first day and we’ve been getting some useful feedback from those who have popped in.

"We’ll take what people have said onboard, and see if there are any things we need to tweak to make sure that we’re offering people what they want."

Margaret O’Rourke, clinical services manager at Vale of Leven Hospital, said: "It’s great to see the Tea-bar back in operation after having been closed for so long.

"It has been missed and the way people have supported its reopening shows just how much it contributes to the daily activity in the hospital."