The invitation comes from Bute Community Council, whose members chewed over the bones of that May 28 meeting this week - when the company's latest proposal for an hourly timetable between Rothesay and Wemyss Bay came in for heavy criticism - and tried to work out a way to bring the talks back to life.

But they rejected - at least in part - CalMac's suggestion of a reformed ferry committee, with one BCC representative, whose meetings be held behind closed doors.

Frank Baxter, one of the two BCC members present at that infamous meeting on May 28, said: "We did feel it was quite a positive meeting; although there was a bit of acrimony, that's why you have these meetings.

"The discussions were free and frank - perhaps overly frank on occasions - and while a lot of people will say BFUG was the most vocal group on the night, having been a commuter for a number of years I can understand why they would be quite forceful in their comments.

"I feel that we will never get anywhere with CalMac if they are going to come to meetings and then pull up the stumps and walk away because things aren't going their way. How can you ever go forward like that?

"I'm not in favour or against CalMac, but on this occasion I think they've maybe made the wrong decision.

Mr Baxter and his colleague Rosemary Laxton, who was also at that May 28 meeting, both made clear their "grave concern" at any proposal to slim down BCC's representation on a ferry committee to a single person - and were implacably opposed to any meeting under BCC's auspices being held behind closed doors.

"Our constitution states that our meetings must be held in public," Mr Baxter continued.

"We should point out that we don't feel we can meet behind closed doors, but CalMac should be encouraged to come back to the table to keep discussions going, and maybe we can try and push this forward.

"There is no point in having meetings if the main player isn't going to be there."

BCC members agreed to invite CalMac to resume discussions and to slim down membership to perhaps two people per interest group, while re-stating their opposition to closed-doors meetings.

The community council has been invited to accompany CalMac's regional manager Brian Fulton on a visit to Arran to see how that island's ferry committee operates, but we understand no-one is yet available from BCC to make the trip.