The tiny Scottish island of Easdale is gearing up to welcome more than 150 stone skimmers who will do battle to win the coveted World Stone Skimming Cup at the 2005 World Stone Skimming Championships on Sunday 25 September.

Easdale Island, home to a small but thriving community of stone skimmers and situated 16 miles south of Oban, is the smallest permanently inhabited island of the Inner Hebrides and was once the centre of a thriving Scottish slate mining industry.

One of the disused mining quarries has become a perfect arena for the Stone Skimming Championships which was started in 1983 by Albert Baker and then lay fallow until it was resurrected by the Eilean Eisdeal (Easdale Island) Trust as a fundraising event.

Contestants hail from around the world and the event attracts some 150 participants and the same number of spectators. Each competitor is allowed 5 skims using stones no more than 3 inches in diameter and formed naturally of Easdale slate. For a skim to qualify, the stone must bounce at least three times and stay within the designated lane marked by buoys - it is then judged on the distance achieved rather than the number of bounces.

Anyone of any age and any level of skill can enter the championships which are sponsored this year by VisitScotland. The World Stone Skimming Cup is presented to the over-all winner, but there are also trophies for the best junior skim and The Sea-fari Salver for the best female with slate medals going to 2nd and 3rd runner-up in each category. 2002 saw the launch of a new award, 'The Bertie', named after the event's founder, presented to the Easdale Islander who skims the furthest.

Last year Scotland�s Andrew McKinna took home the Cup and become all-round champion with a winning skim of 47 metres. The list of champions since 1997 includes winners from New Zealand, Australia, England as well as Scotland. Tessa Pirie, also from Scotland won the 2004 Women�s Sea-fari Salver with a score of 27m though local boy Allan Laycock showed great skill in winning the Junior Boys (ages 10-15yrs incl.) and the Bertie Award with a staggering skim of 37 metres.

A programme of events supported by local businesses has been set up to support the Stone Skimming Championships this year including:

� A 'Fyne Tune your skims' competition - a chance to hone skimming skills in the quarry adjacent to that of the championship by hitting the floating Fyne Ales bottle top winning a bottle of beer. � Pre-skim party on Saturday 24th September featuring live music from 'The Wildebeests' � Live music from a carnival band. � Grand Raffle and draw � Stalls in the square � Childrens entertainer - for children of all ages � Exclusive new design T-shirts and baseball caps for sale. � Barbeque - delicious flame-grilled food!

The event kicks off with the Pre-Skim Party on the Saturday night held in the newly renovated Easdale Island Community Hall. www.easdale.org/hall.

Easdale Island is reached by a 5 minute passenger ferry journey across from Ellenabeich on the adjacent Isle of Seil which is itself connected to the mainland via the famous 'Bridge over the Atlantic�. Parking is available in Ellenabeich and return ferry tickets cost �1.40 for adults and 70p for children.

A good range of B&B accommodation exists on Easdale and the surrounding area and can be booked via the National Information and Booking Line on 0845 22 55 121 or through the web-site www.visitscotland.com. The community web-site www.easdale.org carries a full list of local accommodation as well as detailed maps and the passenger ferry schedule.

Full details on the Championships are on www.stoneskimming.com and all proceeds from the event go to Easdale community funds.

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For further information on the event contact:

Fiona Blakey World Stone Skimming Championships event organiser 01852 300 579 fi@pufferbar.com

Karin Finlay VisitScotland UK PR Manager 0131 472 2338 karin.finlay@visitscotland.com