6 reasons to visit the Isle of Bute

Once a fashionable Victorian seaside resort, the Isle of Bute fell out of favour in the mid-20th century, but with beautiful beaches, one outlandish stately home and a cool creative scene, you’ll wonder why you’ve never been before

Just an hour-and-a-half from Glasgow, the Isle of Bute is a gorgeous island in the Firth of Clyde that is largely ignored by the many travellers to Scotland who come in search of the romance and natural beauty of the Scottish Isles.

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It hasn’t always been the case – in the Victorian era, steamships filled with holidaymakers and day-trippers would drop off passengers at Rothesay pier, as it was considered a fashionable place to be. Most arrivals would head straight for the nearby Glenburn Hotel, Scotland’s first hydropathic retreat, which commanded an elevated position with views over the bay – though views of the hotel with her arched loggias and wrought-iron veranda were arguably as impressive.

The hotel is no longer open, one victim of the town’s decline from the 1950s onwards, when the steady stream of Glaswegians (it had gradually become a favoured place for the city’s working classes) who had taken an annual holiday ‘doon the watter’, began to trickle out – tempted abroad on cheap package holidays instead. As a result, Rothesay, once a smart resort, began to grow a little tired and frayed around the edges.

Now though, Rothesay – and the island – is having new life breathed into it. The 1930s Pavilion, which also overlooks the waterfront, is being restored and will soon reopen as an arts centre, with an exciting programme of music, art, dance and theatre.

Rothesay also has its own gin distillery, and the early whispers of something of a food revolution, with collectives such as Bute Kitchen taking shape.

Nearby Mount Stuart, one of the most wildly eccentric of Scottish stately homes, has its own contemporary art programme, and the things that are really special about the island – the historic sites, the beaches and the nature – well they haven’t changed at all.

All-in-all, it’s a weekend – or even week-long – destination that has a lot more going for it than most people realise.

Mount Stuart, the grand Gothic-revival home just a short drive or taxi ride from Rothesay, the most ambitious house-building project of the 3rd Marquess of Bute, is unusual in many ways, but in one way in particular: its commitment to art.

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Even a transient walk through its halls and rooms proves that successive owners of the house all left their own creative mark, in the paintings and tapestries that hang on the walls, and in 2001, the Visual Arts Programme was launched at the house to continue this artistic legacy.

Now, alongside the gilded portraits of the Bute Collection, you can see cutting-edge contemporary arts, such as Ilana Harperin’s, There is a Volcano Behind my House – an exploration of the geology of the isle – while Martin Boyce’s 2019 outdoor installation, An Inn for Phantoms of The Outside and In can still be seen in the grounds.

Sally Coffey

When the Rothesay Pavilion reopens, it will provide an eclectic programme of everything from the visual arts to dance, to exhibitions with their roots deeply embedded in the local community. Housed in a Bauhaus-inspired Grade A listed building, aesthetically the Pavilion is like a throw-back to when Bute was buzzing, when regular dances brought couples together, and the harbour hummed with the sound of cheerful chatter.

If you want a shopping experience that will make your heart swell, stop-off at The Pencil Box on the west of the isle – a red telephone box that sells books, cards, eggs and baked goods. Just make sure you remember to pay in the honesty box.

As you approach Bute by ferry, you can’t help but notice the smart Victorian buildings that line the seafront in Rothesay, the principal town.

This is very much just the beginning though. On the drive towards Mount Stuart, you’ll drive past the Glenburn Hotel, which still looks open and yet eerily empty – like the setting for a ghost story.

Mount Stuart has many architectural impressive features but it’s the Marble Hall that really wows. With huge columns leading up to vaulted arches made from many different types of marble imported from Italy, a celestial ceiling, and stained-glass windows depicting signs of the Zodiac, which illuminate magnificently, it is nothing short of spectacular.

 

 

 

 

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And finally, one of the strangest architectural tours you will probably ever take will be into Rothesay’s Victorian men’s toilets, by the ferry terminal, which have been carefully restored and can be visited for 40p. However, as they are ‘fully functional’ you may be in for more than you bargained for.

Whether you are missioning it across the West Island Way, a sort of figure-of-eight route that runs from the north to the south of the island over a course of 30 miles (48km), or taking a less challenging walk, you are never far from a good view on Bute. It’s one of the very big bonuses of living on an island. It’s also helpful that most of Bute is low-lying and underdeveloped, so there is little to block the sight of the Arran Hills as you walk up out of Rothesay towards the south of the isle.

Sally Coffey

The West Island Way can be walked in two to four days, depending how energetic you are (and how much time you have), stopping off at places like Port Bannatyne (pictured below), Rothesay or Kilchattan Bay en route.

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One of the most popular beauty spots is Loch Fad, in the centre of the island and roughly about halfway through the route. Following the Highland Boundary Fault line, it’s a tranquil scene of glassy water backed by wooded hills, where you may want to take a breather and watch some of the anglers patiently fishing for trout.

READ MORE: What to see on Arran

Just a short walk from Rothesay’s Harbour is the Isle of Bute Gin distillery and gin garden, finally opening up in Bute after being initially distilled in Glasgow. The operation is small, so while it is sometimes possible to tour the distillery, it’s just as good doing a guided tasting.

Sally Coffey

There is a social enterprise sense to proceedings – for Pride month, the gin distillery launched a special batch of Pride of Bute gin with nearby distillery Spirit of Bute, and Calum’s Cabin gin on the menu gives proceeds to a local charity.

More recently, Bute Kitchen is a collaboration of local food and drink producers, who come together at markets and other pop-ups to showcase the flavours of the island, so keep an eye out for events and a possible permanent home.

READ MORE: A guide to whisky on Islay

There is an active wild swimming scene on the island, with lots of clean, clear and – most importantly – safe waters in sheltered bays around the coast.

Scalpsie Bay is a beautiful beach, on the southwest of the isle, though there is a colony of over 200 seals to be mindful of as you swim. On the north-west of the island, Ettrick Bay has a golden sandy beach and views over to Arran, and there’s a quaint tearoom to warm up in afterwards, while St Ninian’s Bay, between the two, is often much quieter.

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Bute Paddle Boards is a new hire company for 2021 that rents out paddleboards for the day and also gives those that need it a little tutoring and advice on the best bays to visit.

For a more traditional adventure, take a trip on the Waverley paddle steamer, which runs regular return trips out of Rothesay to destinations like Tarbert and Loch Fyne.

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READ MORE: The UK's beautiful beaches photographed from above

Of course, Mount Stuart is an excellent place to visit if you are interested in the shenanigans of the Scottish aristocracy, but there are many more historic sites that tell the island’s story.

Look out for mysterious stones, such as Ettrick Bay Stone Circle and Kingarth Standing Stones. On the south of the island, St Blane’s is a 12th-century ruined church with views to the Holy Island. It stands on land that has been a religious site as far back as the 6th century and is said to have been abandoned following Viking raids.

READ MORE: These mysterious stone circles still baffle the experts

In Rothesay, there is of course Rothesay Castle, a fortress with a circular sandstone wall that has links to the Stewart kings of Scotland.

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For an in-depth look at local history, pop into Bute Museum, also in Rothesay, which has artefacts dating from the Mesolithic period, which were found near Kilchattan Bay, as well as rocks from every part of the island that tells its natural history.

To plan your trip, go to Visit Bute.

Just 33 miles (53km) west of Glasgow, Bute is one of the easiest of all the Scottish isles to get to. Trains depart Glasgow Central station every hour for the 52-minute journey to Wemyss Bay (from £8.10 single, £8.50 return with Scotrail). Alternatively, you can drive to Wemyss Bay in a similar time.

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal for Bute is within Wemyss Bay’s Victorian train station. The crossing to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute takes just 35 minutes (£3.35 single/£6.70 return, car extra £12.05 single/£24.10 return, Calmac).

If you happen to be coming from Argyll, there’s also a ferry from Colintraive on the mainland to Rhubodach on Bute, which takes just five minutes (£1.25 single, £2.50 return, car extra £6.35 single/£12.70 return).

Main image of Rothesay: Dale Lorna Jacobsen/Shutterstock