Flyer

In this issue of the Highland Traveller Flyer we have highlighted the Isle of Bute, off the West Coast of Scotland.

The Isle of Bute is the first true Scottish Island in the Highlands. The Boundary Fault, which geographically divides the Lowlands of Scotland from the Highlands, passes through the centre of this beautiful island.

Only one hour away from the bustle of Glasgow, the Isle of Bute is an oasis of peace and tranquility just waiting to be discovered. Once found, it will never be forgotten. The Island owes its scenic contrasts and vast range of wildlife habitats to events that happened 340 million years ago. Scotland was plagued by seismic convulsions, rippling from south-west to north-east. As a result, the Highland Boundary Fault runs across Bute, bordered by craggy hills in the north and rich farmland in the south. Much later, a mere 18,000 years ago, the Ice Age left its mark on the bays. Sculpted by a glacier over 330 feet thick and washed by the waters of the Gulf Stream, they are among the most spectacular in the country.

More recent events such as the arrival of man, have also shaped the character of Bute. Stone circles, chambered cairns, cup markings and other mysteries from as far back as 4,000 years ago may grip your imagination as you explore the island, visit its gardens, or enjoy one of the many other attractions.

There are many ways to explore Bute. Walking, cycling, horse riding or driving - however you travel, you'll come across different sights, unexpected delights. Passing yachts, changing perspectives of sea and shore, panoramas of other coastlines - Arran, Cowal, Kintyre - make it impossible to forget you're on an island.

Among the many sights to be seen is Rothesay Castle, the Stuart Kings spent their summers there - a stronghold whose circular design is unique in Scotland. It was built by a Stuart ancestor, one of the hereditary High Stewards of Scotland, almost 800 years ago. (From the word, Steward, came the surname, Stewart, or later Stuart). Spend an hour or two exploring and you'll relive over 4 turbulent centuries of Scottish history - from when the Vikings took control in 1230 to the burning by the Duke of Argyll in 1685. In beautifully isolated locations, early Christian sites, such as the ruins of the chapels dedicated to Saints Ninian and Blane, tell of missionary faith.

Rothesay, Isle of Bute

Rothesay Castle

In the whole of Britain you are unlikely to come across a stately home as breathtaking as Mount Stuart. Following a disastrous fire in 1877, the third Marquess of Bute began an ambitious building programme upon the ruins of the original mansion. When built, the present Mount Stuart was technologically ahead of its time. It was the first house in Scotland to be lit by electricity and the first in Britain to have a heated indoor swimming pool. A year after the telephone was invented, a telephone cable was installed in Mount Stuart. The 300-acre grounds, with their various gardens and glorious vistas of the Firth of Clyde, are a haven of tranquility. There are treasures here, artistic, architectural and horticultural, to which you'll yearn to return.

Declared a Royal Burgh by King Robert III in 1400, home of wealthy Victorian industrials, popular tourist resort - Rothesay has played many roles over the centuries, and each is reflected in the town's architecture. From the ruins of St. Mary's Chapel in the secluded grounds of the High Kirk of Rothesay to the 17th century town house of the Bute family, now the offices of Bute Estate.