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A coastal town in Scotland has been named the country's "ugliest", but locals have hit back, saying the "award" is unfair and out of touch. Port Glasgow was once a thriving shipbuilding hub on the banks of the River Clyde, but has now been handed the unwanted title by the architects behind the controversial Carbuncle Awards.

The town, in Inverclyde, received the Plook on a Plinth trophy after a judging panel from the architecture journal Urban Realm said it had become an area of "squandered potential". Explaining the decision, editor John Glenday said: "Port Glasgow is a town of squandered potential. Look beyond the grey walls, rubble and boarded-up windows to long vistas and you will see the beauty of the place, still punctuated by the grandeur of the library.

"Unfortunately, the immediate environment fails to do justice to what could and should be a jewel in the Clyde's crown."

The town was heavily criticised for the condition of the Clune Park Estate, a former housing area for shipyard workers now lying mostly empty and partly demolished.

The site has been nicknamed "Scotland's Chernobyl" and was popular among urban explorers before demolition work began.

Mr Glenday said: "Clune Park was solidly built and once home to a thriving community.

"Issues around population decline and deprivation are real but are best dealt with by working with established assets, not sweeping buildings aside in the hope that the underlying problems will go away."

Urban Realm claimed recent investments had been "haphazard and misdirected" and said the town was "dominated by a retail park and dual carriageway which dulls the senses while sucking life from the town centre".

But many locals were furious with the decision and refused to accept the award.

Kevin Green, from local group PG25, which is celebrating Port Glasgow's 250th anniversary, described the title as a "poverty safari".

"Port Glasgow's got a long history of punching up, not down. And this strikes me as people punching down," he said.

"I know you're looking for someone to award it to. And we have a bin sitting here. I'm quite happy to place it in the bin for you."

Mr Green added the town had regeneration plans in place and said it was "the wrong time for this award".

Inverclyde provost Drew McKenzie told the BBC it was "ironic" the title had been handed out "at a time of transformation and celebration for the town".

He said: "Port Glasgow is of course, like most areas, not without its challenges but we're working closely with the local community and other partners to continually look at how we can make Port Glasgow an even better place to live, work, visit and do business."

He added that there was a masterplan for Clune Park and, subject to funding, the goal was to make it "a desirable place to live once again".

The Express has reached out to Inverclyde Council for a comment.