St Ninian's Point is a flat tidal island located off the west coast of the Isle of Bute at the hamlet of Straad. It is about 600 metres from north to south and 250 metres from east to west. It is only cut off from Bute at high spring tides. It is separated from Bute by a beach of flat pebbles. There are two houses and a ruined chapel on the island.
The chapel site was excavated in 1952 and 1954 and an earlier pagan burial site of long cists was found underneath it. The chapel was founded from Whithorn (St Ninian started his missionary work in Scotland there in 397AD) in the 6th or early 7th century and possibly abandoned in the 9th century when Norse people arrived.
When we visited in mid May 2022 we identified scurvy grass, lousewort, daisies, dandelions, bird's-foot trefoil, buttercup, cranesbill, celandine, silverweed, cuckoo flower, thrift and iris growing on St Ninian's Point.
