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Bute

Once a popular Victorian seaside destination – the restored 1899 public toilets at Rothesay pier are a work of art – Bute has a huge amount to offer. It is now famous for its gardens, fishing, golf and Britain’s most outstanding gothic mansion.

The gardens vary from Ardencraig with the ‘best display of summer bedding anywhere in Scotland’, to the entrancing Ascog Fernery, and the 300 acres of superb gardens in the grounds of Mount Stuart.

Flamboyant Mount Stuart was built, but not completed, in the late 1800s by the third Marquess of Bute. Quite magnificent it is a monument to one man’s obsession with the medieval past.

There is fishing on various lochs – Loch Fad is well know for its rainbow trout. For walkers the West Island Way, Scotland’s first way marked long distance trail, offers a range of options.

Regular ferry from Weymss Bay to Rothesay , 30 minutes, or the shorter 5 minute crossing from Colintriave to Rhubodach on the north end of the island
Find out more on the Isle of Bute from Wikipedia

Accommodation in Bute:

Bute »

A good local museum in Rothesay sets the scene, with Rothesay Castle’s impressive curtain walls dominating the streets nearby.

Bute Museum »

In this busy museum, situated behind the Castle, you can experience the archaeology, history and natural history of the Isle of Bute.

Rothesay Castle Isle of Bute Rothesay Castle »

One of Scotland’s oldest castles, with a circular wall, built in about 1230, and a moat, it was twice attacked and captured by the Vikings.

Mount Stuart House and Gardens »

Mount Stuart, a spectacular Victorian Gothic House, is the magnificent architectural fantasy of the Marquess of Bute (1847 - 1900) and the Scottish architect Robert Rowland Anderson.

Ascog Hall Fernery and Garden »

Wonderful sunken Victorian fernery with an impressive collection of rare sub-tropical ferns, including an ancient Todea barbara, estimated to be around 1,000 years old.