FILM footage of Helensburgh from the 50s and 70s will be shown as part of a new television series about Scotland.

The area's seafront and Cardross Seminary feature in two episodes of a new TV show, Films of Scotland - a series which showcases documentaries of the past, some of which were filmed as early as the 1930s, from Scottish Screen's archive.

Helensburgh will be shown in the 70s film Clydescope, originally made to advertise holidays in Scotland and presented by a young Billy Connolly exploring the Clyde area.

The original film was shot by cameraman David Peat, from Rhu, who makes an appearance in the new episode to talk about his experiences.

He said: "It was great fun to do the film at the time because Murray Grigor [director] chose to be naughty and tell the story through a hairy character [Billy Connolly] on a bike and animated drawings rather than in a traditional way - it was a wonderful trip down memory lane doing the new programme." John Archer, producer of the new series, said: "Each of these films has something interesting to say and a very interesting story to tell.

"They are a celebration of some great films of the past, not only giving people a chance to see some fantastic footage, but also the chance to learn something about the way that Scotland was at that time." Films Of Scotland starts on Wednesday December 1 at 7.30pm on BBC1. The programme featuring Clydescope is on December 15 and the one about the Cardross Seminary will be shown two weeks later on December 29.