NEARLY 12,000 campers awoke to the second day of the Connect Festival in Inveraray yesterday morning to a soundtrack of rain, flapping tents and Radio 4.

The three-day music festival on the banks of Loch Fyne had been billed as a "boutique event" for fans who had outgrown rowdier festivals such as T In The Park, and - in large part - that was the case.

With ages ranging from 20-something to 50-something, people sheltered inside their tents while others braved the weather with deck-chairs and Thermos flasks. Most remained upbeat, although many were nursing hangovers and grudges.

"Somebody fell into my tent last night when I was sleeping and snapped both the poles," said Mark Houston from Ayr. "I've got no idea where I'm going to sleep tonight, or tomorrow for that matter."

After a night which saw performances from The Super Furry Animals and The Jesus and Mary Chain, many revellers made the muddy mile-long trudge from the campsite to the main arena for a breakfast of porridge and organic fruit juice.

It wasn't difficult to separate the hardcore festival-goers from those new to the experience. With a pair of broken high-heels in her hands, and bare feet sinking into the sludge, Leigh Grant, from Paisley, said her choice of footwear had been wrong. "I got a head and neck massage at the Rest And Be Thankful Spa this morning," she said. "I don't need to go back there now for my mud treatment."

Innovations at the festival include a host of themed chill-out areas for the music-weary. The Speakeasy Cafe - co-sponsored by the Sunday Herald - saw people playing Connect Four and Battleships from the comfort of leather armchairs. Tucked away at the Red Bull Enchanted Garden, at least three generations lay down side by side to chat, make friends and ponder life. In a number of specialist tents, people drank malt whisky and champagne while enjoying the local seafood.

Virginia Sumsion, of Loch Fyne Oysters, said the company had nearly sold its full weekend complement of 1200 oysters by lunchtime yesterday. "We need to get some more," she said. "The demand so far has been amazing."

After a subdued afternoon on Friday, as early arrivals struggled to get to grips with the festival's layout, Brazilian group CSS marked the start of the party in earnest. On their last festival date this year, singer Lovefoxxx, in a multi-coloured metallic jumpsuit, threw herself about on stage to a string of hits.

Nearly 16,000 tickets for the event have been sold, from a maximum allocation of 20,000. Festival director Geoff Ellis said any teething problems had been minimal and described the festival as a "dream come true".

"To see the vision we had for this event become a reality is just really magical," he said. "The response from fans and the artists backstage has been phenomenal and the atmosphere has been first class."

Ellis said Friday night headliners The Beastie Boys had been particularly impressed with the lush surroundings. During their set, the New York rappers threw down the gauntlet to the Duke of Argyll, whose ancestral home is Inveraray Castle, inviting him to joust, and threatening to storm the battlements, before emphasising they were joking.

The duke himself said he had "enjoyed the banter" and that Glaswegian songstress Amy Macdonald had been his highlight so far. "I think it was funny to kick off the festival with a Macdonald right here in the garden of the Campbell clan," he said.

"Any concerns I had about staging the event here have gone. There's never been anything like this before in this part of Scotland."

As well as a high proportion of visitors from outside Scotland, many locals made the trek. "I come from just down the road in Lochgilphead," said Gordon Allan. "If you had told me I'd be standing here in Inveraray watching the Beastie Boys, then dancing with headphones on in the Silent Disco, I would have thought you were insane."

Tickets for Connect 2008 will go on sale on Tuesday.

www.connectmusicfestival.com