The Isle of Bute ( sco, Buit; gd, Eilean Bhòid or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent island of the larger County of Bute, it is now part of the council area of

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

. Bute's resident population was 6,498 in 2011, a decline of just over 10% from the figure of 7,228 recorded in 2001 against a background of Scottish island populations as a whole growing by 4% to 103,702 for the same period.

Name

The name "Bute" is of uncertain origin.

Watson Watson may refer to: Companies * Actavis, a pharmaceutical company formerly known as Watson Pharmaceuticals * A.S. Watson Group, retail division of Hutchison Whampoa * Thomas J. Watson Research Center, IBM research center * Watson Systems, make ...

and Mac an Tàilleir support a derivation from

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...

' ("fire"), perhaps in reference to signal fires.Watson (1926) pp 95–6Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 24 This reference to beacon fires may date from the Viking period, when the island was probably known to the Norse as '. Other possible derivations include Brittonic ''budh'' ("corn"), "victory", , or ', his monastic cell. There is no likely derivation from

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

's ''Ebudae''. The island was also known during the Viking era as Rothesay, possibly referring to the personal name Roth or Roderick and the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

suffix ' ("island"). This name was eventually taken by the main town on the island, whose Gaelic name is ' ("town of Bute").

Geography

Bute lies in the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...

. The only town on the island, Rothesay, () is linked by ferry to the mainland. To its north is the coastal village of

Port Bannatyne Port Bannatyne ( gd, Port MhicEamailinn) is a coastal village on the Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland that is home to many steamers. Port Bannatyne developed into the 1900s as a quieter and more unusual alternative to Rothesay. It is a pop ...

; hamlets on the island include Ascog, Kilchattan Bay, and

Kingarth Kingarth ( sga, Cenn Garad; gd, Ceann a' Gharaidh) is a historic village and parish on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of south-western Scotland. The village is within the parish of its own name, and is situated at the junction of the A844 and ...

. The interior of the island is hilly, though not mountainous, with conifer plantations and some uncultivated land, particularly in the north. The highest point is Windy Hill at . The centre of the island contains most of the cultivated land, while the island's most rugged terrain is found in the far south around

Glen Callum A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrowe ...

Loch Fad Loch Fad is a freshwater loch on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. Its name means "long loch" in Scottish Gaelic. It lies on the Highland Boundary Fault. Its surface area is , fairly large for a freshwater loch on an island in Scotland. It is the ...

is Bute's largest body of freshwater and runs along the fault line. The western side of Bute is known for its beaches, many of which enjoy fine views over the

Sound of Bute In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...

towards Arran and Bute's smaller satellite island

Inchmarnock Inchmarnock ( gd, Innis Mheàrnaig) is an island at the northern end of the Sound of Bute in the Firth of Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The island is privately owned. Geography Inchmarnock lies to the west of the Isle of Bute at the no ...

. Hamlets on the western side of the island include Straad, around St. Ninian's Bay, and Kildavanan on Ettrick Bay. In the north, Bute is separated from the

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arroch ...

peninsula by the

Kyles of Bute The Kyles of Bute ( gd, Na Caoil Bhòdach) form a narrow sea channel that separates the northern end of the Isle of Bute from the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the Scottish mainland. The surrounding hillsides are roughly wooded, and ov ...

. The northern part of the island is more sparsely populated, and the ferry terminal at

Rhubodach Rhubodach is a small settlement on the north-eastern shore of the Isle of Bute, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The name Rhubodach may come from the Gaelic ''Rubha a' Bhodaich'' which translates as ''old man's point'' or ''promontory'' or alternati ...

connects the island to the mainland at Colintraive by the smaller of the island's two ferries. The crossing is one of the shortest, less than , and takes only a few minutes but is busy because many tourists prefer the scenic route to the island. North Bute forms part of the Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.

Geology

Bute straddles the divide between highland and lowland Scotland with the Highland Boundary Fault cutting NNE-SSW through the island between Rothesay Bay and Scalpsie Bay. To the north of this line are metamorphosed

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

s and

mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.' ...

s (i.e. psammites and pelites) which constitute the

Southern Highland Group The Southern Highland Group is a sequence of metamorphosed Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks that outcrop across the Central Highlands of Scotland, east of the Great Glen. It forms the uppermost/youngest part of the Dalradian Supergroup and is ...

of the

Dalradian The Dalradian Supergroup (informally and traditionally the Dalradian) is a stratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the lithostratigraphy of the Grampian Highlands of Scotland and in the north and west of Ireland. The diverse assembl ...

. To its south are the conglomerates, sandstones, mudstones and

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, ...

s of the

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wh ...

age Stratheden Group (a division of the

Old Red Sandstone The Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the northeastern seaboard of North America. It also exte ...

) and of the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carboniferou ...

age

Inverclyde Group The Inverclyde Group is a Carboniferous lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) in southern Scotland and northernmost England. The name is derived from Inverclyde. The rocks of the Inverclyde Group have also previously been referred ...

. Associated with the latter are Carboniferous extrusive igneous rocks, mainly

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

s and

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...

s of the Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation. These occur north of Ascog, northeast of Scalpsie and south of Kilchattan Bay. The

metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...

s of the Dalradian sequence are divided locally into a couple of

groups A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

, themselves subdivided into formations, each of which contains ‘ members’. The youngest strata are at the top of the list: *Trossachs Group **Ardscalpsie Formation ***Quien Hill Grit Member ***Loch Dhu Slate Member (includes ‘Rothesay Limestone’) *

**St Ninian Formation ***Toward Quay Grit Member ***Bullrock Greywacke Member **Dunoon Phyllite Formation The

Palaeozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and '' ...

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

and extrusive igneous sequence in stratigraphic order (i.e. youngest at top) is as follows. All are of Carboniferous age except the Bute Conglomerate, which is late Devonian and separated from the overlying Kinnesswood sandstones and mudstones by an

unconformity An unconformity is a buried erosional or non-depositional surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages, indicating that sediment deposition was not continuous. In general, the older layer was exposed to erosion for an interval ...

. *

Strathclyde Group The Strathclyde Group is a geological group found in the Midland Valley of Scotland. It preserves fossils of Visean age (early Carboniferous period). See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Scotland See also * Lists of ...

**Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation **Birgidale Mudstone Formation *

**Clyde Sandstone Formation **

Ballagan Formation The Ballagan Formation is a geologic formation in Scotland and England. It preserves fossils dating back to the early part of the Carboniferous period (Tournaisian – early Visean). Its name comes from the "Ballagan Beds" of Ballagan Glen, nea ...

** Kinnesswood Formation * Stratheden Group **Bute Conglomerate Formation A couple of thin

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

seams are recorded within the volcanic sequence inland of Ascog. The centre of the island is cut by a couple of east–west trending late Carboniferous dykes of quartz-microgabbro and the whole island by a much more numerous swarm of

Palaeogene The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning ...

age microgabbro dykes aligned NNW-SSE in the north but also WSW-ESE and NNE-SSW in the south. sills and other intrusive bodies are present in the extreme south.

Raised beach A raised beach, coastal terrace,Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from 2/04/2011/ref> or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, ...

es are present around most of Bute's coastline, lying around 8m above current sea levels. Higher marine platforms with partial cover of sand and gravel are recognised further inland, dating from earlier parts of the Devensian ice age. Till derived from the ice age is widespread inland while isolated

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and ...

deposits particularly in the north.

Alluvium Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. ...

floors numerous stream valleys. Small areas of blown sand are to be found landward of some sandy bays.

History

Beginnings

The human occupation of Bute dates from prehistoric times. The Queen of the Inch necklace is an article of jewellery made of jet found in a

cist A cist ( or ; also kist ; from grc-gre, κίστη, Middle Welsh ''Kist'' or Germanic ''Kiste'') is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle Ea ...

that dates from circa 2000 BC. Saint Maccai (died 460) was said to have founded a monastery on the island. Bute was absorbed into the '' Cenél Comgaill'' of

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is n ...

and colonised by Gaelic peoples. The island subsequently fell under Norse control and formed part of the Kingdom of the Isles, ruled by the

Crovan dynasty The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. The e ...

. The Irish Text ''Martyrology of Tallaght'' makes a reference to Blane, the Bishop of Kingarth on Bute, "in Gall-Ghàidheil". However, in the 12th century, the island, along with Arran, was granted by David I to Somerled, Lord of Argyll, Kintyre and Lorne. At about the turn of the 13th century, Bute appears to have come into possession of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of the Steward of Scotland, during a time of internal strife amongst Somerled's descendants. During the 13th century, Bute was the target of two Norwegian attempts to reassert authority in the Isles. For instance,

Rothesay Castle Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in western Scotland. Located at , the castle has been described as "one of the most remarkable in Scotland", for its long history dating back to the beginni ...

fell to a Norwegian-backed King of the Isles in 1230, and fell again to the Norwegians in 1263. In 1266, the Norwegian king, Magnus VI, ceded the Kingdom of the Isles to the Scottish king, Alexander III, in return for a very large sum of money, by the Treaty of Perth. Alexander Stewart had been the chief military commander of Scottish forces, and was now rewarded by Alexander (the king) by being confirmed in possession of Bute and Arran.

Under Scottish rule

In 1549, Dean Monro wrote of "Buitt" that it was:

very fertyle ground, namelie for aitts, with twa strenthes; the ane is the round castle of Buitt, callit Rosay of the auld, and Borrowstone about it callit Buitt. Before the town and castle is ane bay of sea, quhilk is a gude heavin for ships to ly upon ankers. That uther castle is callit the castle of Kames, quhilk Kames in Erishe is alsmeikle as to say in English the bay Castle. In this ile ther is twa paroche kirks, that ane southe callit the kirk of Bride, the uther northe in the Borrowstone of Buitt, with twa chappells, ane of them above the towne of Buitt, the uther under the forsaid castle of Kames.

Under Scottish Rule, Bute and Arran were governed as a unit, the shrievalty aligning with the comital jurisdiction. The latter merged into the crown, as a result of the Alexander Stewart's great-grandson,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

, inheriting the throne via his mother. A corresponding title,

Duke of Rothesay Duke of Rothesay ( ; gd, Diùc Baile Bhòid; sco, Duik o Rothesay) is a dynastic title of the heir apparent to the British throne, currently William, Prince of Wales. William's wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, is the current Duchess of Ro ...

was created by Robert's son for the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

, without landlordship of the land. Robert had already granted the sheriffdom to his bastard son, heritably; consequently, in the early 18th century, the latter's senior descendant acquired the (non-comital) title '' Earl of Bute''. During the seventeenth century there were cases of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

: in 1630 an unknown number of women confessed to the crime and were confined in the dungeon at Rothesay Castle, left without food or water and died from starvation. Other instances are recorded but the most fervent activity occurred during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661–62 when at least four Bute witches were executed; one woman who was convicted at that time escaped but the sentence was enacted when she returned to the island in 1673. (East Bay, Rothsay (i

When the comital powers were abolished by the Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 and counties formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, Bute and Arran became the County of Bute. Later reforms merged Bute, without Arran, into the wider region of

World War II

Bute played a major role during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and its naval involvements were especially significant. HMS Cyclops was the depot ship for the 7th

Submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

Flotilla and was home-based in Rothesay Bay. A few miles further north at

the luxury 88-bedroomed Kyles Hydro Hotel, overlooking the Port, was requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the HQ for midget submarine (X-craft) operations. In particular, it was from here (hotel renamed HMS Varbel) that the top secret and audacious attack on the Tirpitz was masterminded. Much of the training of X-craft submariners was undertaken in the waters around Bute, and especially in the secluded waters of Loch Striven to the north of Port Bannatyne.
Bute at War
Bute accommodated many officers and

NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

of the

Polish Armed Forces in the West The Polish Armed Forces in the West () refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. Polish forces were also raised within Soviet territories; th ...

. Officially a military camp, it was unofficially thought of as a prison for Władysław Sikorski's political enemies.

21st Century

On 2 July 2018, the island was shocked by the murder and

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

of a 6-year old girl who was taken from her bed by a 16-year male. The 16-year old was caught, charged and convicted, and given a life sentence. Several major wildfires started on 18–19 April 2019 in the north of the island, involving a substantial area of moorland and conifer plantation.

Transport

Bute is connected with the Scottish mainland by two Caledonian MacBrayne ferries: * Rothesay to

Wemyss Bay Wemyss Bay (; ) is a town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have always ...

to Colintraive During summer, the

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

''Waverley'' calls at Rothesay on regular cruises. There is a regular bus service along the eastern coast road, and a daily service connecting the island with Argyll and the western Highlands and Islands. Many independent holidaymakers use the island as a stepping stone from Glasgow and Ayrshire to western Scotland using this route. In summer an open-top bus tours the island leaving from Guildford Square by the ferry at 1030, 1200, 1430 and 1600. The main ferry to the island leaves from Wemyss Bay, a village on the A78, the coast road between Glasgow and Ayr. Wemyss Bay is connected by rail to Paisley (for Glasgow International Airport) and Glasgow Central station.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport () is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and southwest of Glasgow. It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part o ...

(used by

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings famil ...

) is connected directly to Wemyss Bay by FASTBUS 585, which runs twice an hour. There is an ad hoc link between Glasgow Pacific Quay and Port Bannatyne Marina by Loch Lomond Seaplanes, journey time 17 minutes. There is also another route that runs from Loch Fad to Loch Lomond, however this route has not been set into action. This route is also run by Loch Lomond Seaplanes.

Education

The island has one secondary school, Rothesay Academy, which moved to a new modern joint campus with Rothesay Primary in 2007. The largest of the island's three primary schools is Rothesay Primary. The smallest school (with roughly 50 pupils) is North Bute Primary in Port Bannatyne. The third primary school, St Andrews Primary, is a

Catholic School Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

aligned with St Andrew's Church, the only

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Church on the predominantly

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

island.

Sport

Bute has many sports clubs and activities available. There are three golf courses: Rothesay Golf Club, Kingarth Golf Club and Port Bannatyne Golf Club. The most successful sporting club on the island is

Bute Shinty Club Bute Shinty Club is a shinty club from Rothesay, Argyll and Bute, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. It has a reserve team which is in South Division Two. History The club has been reconstituted on several occasions since its formation in 1906. ...

who play at the highest level of

shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and ...

(the Marine Harvest Premier League). In 2006, Bute won promotion to the Premier League by winning the South Division One. Bute also won the Ballimore Cup and were runners up in the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup in 2006. The local amateur

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

team are known as the Brandanes, and the junior team are the Brandane Bulls. Bute also has facilities for fishing,

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, tennis,

bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gr ...

, and

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

. Pétanque is played at Port Bannatyne; boules may be hired from the Post Office there. The centre for sailing on Bute is at Port Bannatyne with two boatyards and the new marina, and a club which organises private moorings in these particularly protected waters of Kames Bay. There is Bute Sailing School with its own yacht. There is a Kayak and SUP hire centre operating from the Old Quay in Kilchattan Bay during the summer holidays.

Economy

The Mount Stuart Trust owns on the island: as of 2012 the trust was wholly controlled by five members of the

Marquess of Bute Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute. Family history John Stuart was the member of a family that ...

's family, plus an accountant and lawyer, none of whom lived on Bute. As of 2019, all 12 of the trust's directors had addresses outwith the island. Farming and tourism are the main industries on the island, along with fishing and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

. Privately owned businesses include Port Bannatyne Marina and Boat Yard, the Ardmaleish Boatbuilding Company, Bute Fabrics Ltd, (an international weaver of contemporary woollen fabrics for upholstery and vertical applications.) In December 2015 Bute became home to about 100

Syrians Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both ind ...

making the island one of the largest recipients of these refugees in the UK relative to its population. Argyll and Bute council stated that the island was chosen as a suitable location because it had “available social housing” and is “closer to the central belt” for medical support. These newcomers have proven to the community that they mean business, by starting up highly successful shops, like ''Helmi's Patisserie'', ''Rayan's'' (a takeaway), and the newest business, ''Syriana Pizza'' (a food van). In 2019, ''The Buteman'', the island's weekly newspaper, closed after 165 years due to a fall in readership. This was replaced by the Isle of Bute News, run by the Dunoon Observer.

Attractions

Architectural attractions

The island has a ruined 12th-century chapel called St Blane's Chapel which stands on a site associated with Saint Catan and

Saint Blane Saint Blane (Old Irish ''Bláán'', died 590) was a bishop and confessor in Scotland, born on the Isle of Bute, date unknown; died 590. His feast is kept on 10 August. Late (medieval) Scottish texts relate that his mother was Irish and that Sai ...

, who was born on Bute. Another ruined chapel, dating from the 6th century, lies at St Ninian's Point. The eccentric

Mount Stuart House Mount Stuart House, on the east coast of the Isle of Bute, Scotland, is a country house built in the Gothic Revival style and the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Bute. It was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson for the 3rd Marquess in ...

is often cited as one of the world's most impressive

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

mansions, bringing many architectural students from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

on day trips. The third Marquess had a passion for art,

astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...

, mysticism and religion and the house reflects this in the architecture, furnishings and art collection. There is a marble chapel, much stained glass and walls of paintings. The house is open at Easter and from May to October. There are gardens with plants imported from many parts of the world, and a visitor centre. The gardens host a number of events throughout the year starting with an Easter Parade. In 2003 the fashion designer Stella McCartney married in the chapel, generating intense media interest. Activities and workshops are often held there in the summer by a local organisation that provides after-school clubs and activities in the school holidays; there is also a farmers' market and a Christmas market held in the house and in the visitor centre. In 2016, a previously uncatalogued copy of Shakespeare's First Folio was authenticated in the Mount Stuart House library. The Pavilion is a 1930s edifice housing a concert hall, workshops and café, and is noted for its architecture. The Pavilion is little changed from when it was built. The building has been going through renovations over the past 4–5 years, with the residents being told it would be finished within a few years. It is set to open this year.

was built 800 years ago by the hereditary

High Steward of Scotland The title of High Steward or Great Steward is that of an officer who controls the domestic affairs of a royal household. In the 12th century King David I of Scotland gave the title to Walter fitz Alan, a nobleman from Brittany, whose descen ...

. Ascog Hall Fernery and Gardens are a renovated Victorian residence and glass-house containing shrubs and plants from all over the Empire, including a

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

believed to be over 1,000 years old. The Old Post Office, now used only for sorting mail, is an historic working post office (open mornings only) which houses artefacts of the early post, some from before the advent of the postage stamp.

Tourist locations

is a deep freshwater loch stocked with pike and brown trout, and is available to visiting tourist fishermen. Boats are available to hire. Scalpsie Bay has a colony of over 200

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

on its beach, which can only be reached on foot across the fields. The island also has many herds of

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

, rich bird life and some large

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

s. Wild goats with large curled horns may be seen in the north of the island.

, a village towards the north of the island, is the centre for sailing and sea-fishing on the island. It has two boatyards and a marina for 200 vessels. Langoustines are fished with creels anchored in the bay. X-Class

midget submarine A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...

s were stationed in Kames Bay during

and there is a memorial to World War II dead. Port Bannatyne Golf Club is known for scenic views from the course. The road from Port Bannatyne goes along the shore of the Kyles of Bute to the small ferry to Colintraive on the Argyll mainland.

Rothesay

The 1920s Winter Gardens (now the "Discovery Centre") close to the Rothesay Pier houses a small cinema and tourist information office. Nearby are the Victorian toilets. There are a variety of music, folk and poetry festivals, and walking trails and new cycling routes.

Heritage

There are some remote

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

stone circles, an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

fortified village, and early Christian remains (including St. Blane's Chapel). The Bute Museum of the island's history is situated behind Rothesay Castle.

Walks

The West Island Way is a waymarked

long distance footpath A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exc ...

that opened in September 2000 as part of Bute's millennium celebrations, and was the first waymarked long distance route on a Scottish island. It is in length, running between Kilchattan Bay in the south of the island and

in the north, with Rothesay as a central point.

Notable residents and visitors

Well known Bute people include: *

Nina Allan Nina Allan (born 27 May 1966) is a British writer of speculative fiction. She has published four collections of short stories, a novella and two novels. Her stories have appeared in the magazines '' Interzone'', ''Black Static'' and ''Crimewave'' ...

, writer *

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisi ...

, film director; owned the Rhubodach estate on the island at one time"Prominent personalities with a Bute connection"
Bute Gateway. Retrieved 18 September 2011. *

Andrew Bannatyne Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne (October 31, 1829 – May 18, 1889) was a Canadian politician, fur trader and leading citizen of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Biography Bannatyne was born on the island of South Ronaldsay, Orkney, in Scotland and was th ...

, politician, lawyer and businessman * Lieutenant Henry Robertson (Birdie) Bowers (1883–1912), polar explorer, who died with

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...

in the Antarctic * Adam Crozier, former chief executive of the

Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...

* Johnny Dumfries, 7th Marquess of Bute,

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing driver and 1989

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...

winner * Thomas Bannatyne Gillies, New Zealand Supreme Court Judge * Angela Haggerty, journalist, author and broadcaster * George Leslie Hunter, colourist painter * Ian Jack, writer, journalist * Edmund Kean, Shakespearean actor *

Ashley Lilley Ashley-Anne Lilley is a Scottish actress and singer. She made her debut in the 2008 film ''Mamma Mia!''. Early life Lilley was born in Rothesay, Bute. At the age of 12, she won a place with the National Youth Music Theatre. At 15, she enroll ...

, actress, played the role of Ali in the 2008 film adaptation of '' Mamma Mia'' * Sir William Macewen FRS (1848–1924), surgeon *

John William Mackail John William Mackail (26 August 1859 – 13 December 1945) was a Scottish academic of Oxford University and reformer of the British education system. He is most often remembered as a scholar of Virgil and as the official biographer of the ...

, writer and scholar * Christopher Priest, writer * Jane Ross, international footballer * John Sterling, critic, journalist and poet *

Hector Whitelaw Hector Whitelaw is a shinty player from Rothesay, Isle of Bute. He plays for Bute Shinty Club and has been integral to that club's success since 2000.http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/top-stories/Shinty-Bute-face-Fort-for.4374063.jp Hector is known ...

player and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Vice-captain *

Bob Winter Robert Rickaby Winter (born 31 March 1937) is a Scottish former politician who was Lord Provost of Glasgow from 2007 until 2012. Early life Winter was born on 31 March 1937 in the Maryhill area in the north of the city and was educated at Allan ...

, Glasgow's Lord Provost (2007–2012) * Lena Zavaroni (1963-1999), singer; raised in Rothesay

Popular Culture

The island features in ''The Scottish Chiefs''.

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * Hewison, James King (1893
''The Isle of Bute in the Olden Time''
Edinburgh. William Blackwood and Sons. Retrieved 18 Sep 2011. * Jennings, Andrew and Kruse, Arne (2009)
From Dál Riata to the Gall-Ghàidheil
. ''Viking and Medieval Scandinavia''. 5. Brepols. * * * * Watson, W. J. (1994) 926 ''The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland''. Edinburgh: Birlinn. .