1st March - St Marnock or Marnan, Bishop AD 625

Llke so many of the Celtic saints, the name has changed over the years. The original form of this saint's name was Ernin from the Gaelic words Co-Qrnin-og (my little Ernin). He is considered by some to have been of Irish nationality, but this is by no means certain.

Marnock was a missionary in Moray, noted for his zeal in preaching. He died in 625 at Aberchirder in Banffshire, and was buried in the church there where his shrine became a favourite place of pilgrimage, and miracles happened through his relics.

The head of St Marnock was frequently carried in procession to obtain fair weather. It was the custom also to have lights placed round it every Sunday and to wash the relic with water, which was afterwards used to help the sick.

Traces of the Cult of St Marnock are to be found in many parts of Scotland. There was a holy well at Aberchirder still bears his name where a fair was held on the second Tuesday in March. There was also a Mafnock Fair at Paisley which lasted for eight days. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire is another town which takes its name from the saint.

In Argyll, on the eastern side of Loch Fyne, 4 miles from Tighnabruaich, is the village of Kilfinan, not far from the sea shore, there is the remains of the foundation and a fragment of the wall of a chapel dedicated to St Marnock with a graveyard round it at a place called Ard-Marnoc. Not far from there is a cell which tradition assigns to this saint as a place of retirement for solitary communion with God.

To the west of the Isle of Bute at the northern end of the Sound of Bute is the small island Inchmarnock, the name being an anglicisation of the Gaelic Innis Mheàrnaig meaning Island of Saint Marnock where the holy man spent some time.

Another place connected with the saint is Dalmarnock, from the Gaelic dail Mheàrnaig, a small hamlet close to the River Tay between Little Dunkeld and Dalguise, as well as another Dalmarnock which is a northern suburb of the city of Glasgow.