Recently John’s parents were holidaying on The Isle of Bute where they had found a house they wanted to buy to retire to. We were heading to The Mull of Kintyre for a camping trip so decided to get the ferry from Wemyss Bay on the mainland to gatecrash the last night of their holiday and break up our journey.
We were keen to find out why Heather and Brian wanted to move to The Isle of Bute and see the house they had chosen. When we arrived in Rothesay we ditched our bags in their holiday apartment and were taken on a whirlwind tour of the island. The Isle of Bute is only 15 miles long and 4 miles wide but there is plenty to see. If you love the sea, beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife Bute is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday or of course retirement! Only 33 miles from Glasgow it’s accessible, peaceful and picturesque so it’s easy to see why people fall in love with the island.
Later in the evening we went for a walk down Lovers Walk, a pretty path behind St Mary’s Chapel which follows a babbling stream surrounded by trees. We were lucky enough to spot some roe deer and as we walked further inland the wildlife became more plentiful. Deer bounded away every time we walked around a corner, we met some very curious cows and spotted a brown hare, a buzzard, pheasants and rabbits.
We walked on to Loch Fad which is known at the “long loch” and is classified as a site of special interest for its beauty and the bird and plant life it supports, and then we looped round back towards Rothesay.
On the way home we stopped to admire the ruins of Rothesay Castle which are lit up at night and look spectacular in the dark. Built by the Stewart family in the 13th century the castle is unusual as its circular and is surrounded by a wide moat. We watched bats swoop to catch insects over the water and a loan swan keep warm in front of one of the spot lights.
The Isle of Bute is a wonderful place and we’re already looking forward to plenty of visits in the years to come!