Isle of Bute

The Isle of Bute lies in the Firth of Clyde, a lowland island divided by the Highland Boundary Fault. It has two distinct sides: the northern half is rugged and thinly settled, while the southern half holds most of the cultivated land. The island’s highest point, Windy Hill, rises to 278 metres, and its largest freshwater loch, Loch Fad, runs along the fault line. On the western shore, wide sandy beaches face views of Arran and the smaller island of Inchmarnock. In the north, the Kyles of Bute separate Bute from the Cowal peninsula, and the short ferry crossing from Rhubodach to Colintraive is a busy tourist route. Bute’s past reaches back to Neolithic times, with burial cairns and a 3,000-year-old sun circle at Kingarth. The island later became part of the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata, home to early Christian missionaries such as Saint Maccai. Viking raiders gave the main town its name, Rothesay, and left traces in local place names. In the 13th century, Rothesay Castle was fought over by Norwegians and Scots before passing to the Scottish crown. The Stewarts, later royal house of Scotland, held the island for centuries. Today visitors walk among the ruins of Rothesay Castle, a 13th-century stronghold with a round tower and curtain wall. The interior of the island offers quiet hills and conifer woods, while the southern coast has sheltered bays and old fishing hamlets. Glen Callum in the far south holds some of the island’s wildest scenery. The raised beaches around the coast show where the sea once stood higher after the last ice age. From many viewpoints, the peaks of Arran rise across the water, marking the edge of the Clyde.