We landed on the west coast of Inchmarnock about half-hour before sunset and wasted no time in getting our tents up and camp established. There are easier locations to land and camp at the north and south ends of the island but we hoped that the spot we chose can be exposed to any breeze which might keep the midges away.

Inchmarnock means Marnoc's Island and is named for the Celtic monk Saint Marnoc (the name additionally cropping up in different place-names of the south-west of Scotland similar to Kilmarnock). On the north finish of the island, a Stone Island Online Shop "cist" (burial container) was excavated to reveal a female skeleton buried with a jet bead necklace and a dagger. The remains were carbon dated to 3500 BC, and the Bronze Age lady re-interred behind a pane of glass.

Throughout the Sound of Bute, the Arran hills have been lit with a heat glow from the low night sunshine. It actually was fairly idyllic, and as a bonus the expected midge attack was thwarted by a "sundowner" breeze which began up as we completed placing up our tents.

The sun was setting in a blaze of golden gentle over the Kintyre peninsula by the point we might completed making camp. We determined to cook our night meal on the pebble seashore where we could light a fire beneath the tideline so that every one traces can be erased at the next spring tide.

When it comes to transferring boats at wild camp sites there appears to be two sorts of sea kayaker - those who transfer their boats right up to the tents, and people who only transfer their boats above the expected high water mark. We positively fall into the second category - we carried our boats onto a degree patch of pebbles above the excessive water line - and never an Inch further!

Douglas and Mike had used this camping spot some weeks beforehand and Mike was concerned that they could have used up a lot of the out there driftwood - however it turned out that they hadn't tried practically onerous sufficient as there was loads of wood alongside the shore. Inside ten minutes we had a great pile and with the assistance of a Wilcox Ignition Assist we soon had a satisfying blaze going.

Local stories claim that Bute's nineteenth century drunks have been dropped off on Inchmarnock to be cured by "isolation and deprivation". We felt no inclination to emulate these unfortunate folk and enjoyed a frothing sports restoration drink as we cooked our night meal.....

After eating we sat again and simply enjoyed being on this place - so near to a big city and but really quite remote. The only sounds had been the gentle crackling of our fire and the water on the pebbles of the beach; there was no man-made noise and very few lights visible on the encircling coasts.

The afterglow of the sunset was a protracted and drawn-out affair, an hour after the solar had dipped beneath the Kintyre hills there was still a band of intensely coloured mild on the horizon. The air was warm Stone Island Outlet Online and the heat from our fireplace meant that we only needed jackets as it received darkish.