Isle of Bute

Isle of Bute
The Isle of Bute (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. 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 and Mac an Tàilleir support a derivation from Old Irish ("fire"), perhaps in reference to signal fires. 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'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 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 only town on the island, Rothesay, is linked by ferry to the mainland. To its north is the coastal village of Port Bannatyne; hamlets on the island include Ascog, Kilchattan Bay, and Kingarth.
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. Loch Fad 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 towards Arran and Bute's smaller satellite island Inchmarnock. 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 peninsula by the Kyles of Bute. The northern part of the island is more sparsely populated, and the ferry terminal at Rhubodach 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 sandstones and mudstones (i.e. psammites and pelites) which constitute the Southern Highland Group of the Dalradian. To its south are the conglomerates, sandstones, mudstones and siltstones of the Devonian age Stratheden Group (a division of the Old Red Sandstone) and of the Carboniferous age Inverclyde Group. Associated with the latter are Carboniferous extrusive igneous rocks, mainly lavas and tuffs of the Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation. These occur north of Ascog, northeast of Scalpsie and south of Kilchattan Bay.
The metamorphic rocks of the Dalradian sequence are divided locally into a couple of groups, 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’)
Southern Highland Group
St Ninian Formation
Toward Quay Grit Member
Bullrock Greywacke Member
Dunoon Phyllite Formation
The Palaeozoic sedimentary 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.
Strathclyde Group
Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation
Birgidale Mudstone Formation
Inverclyde Group
Clyde Sandstone Formation
Ballagan Formation
Kinnesswood Formation
Stratheden Group
Bute Conglomerate Formation
A couple of thin coal 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 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 beaches 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 deposits particularly in the north. Alluvium floors numerous stream valleys. Small areas of blown sand are to be found landward of some sandy bays.
History
Neolithic Era
Evidence of early occupation exists in the form of cairns at the north end of the isle, such as the long cairn or Cairnbaan and the white cairn at Lenihuline Wood. Other prehistoric structures are to be found such as a fort complex at Dunagoil. The Kingarth sun circle is estimated to be around 3000 years old.
A well known artifact is the Queen of the Inch necklace, which is an article of jewellery made of jet found in a cist that dates from circa 2000 BC.
Dal Riata Era
Bute was absorbed into the Cenél Comgaill of Dál Riata and colonised by Gaelic peoples. Saint Maccai (died 460) was said to have founded a monastery on the island.Other well known Gaelic missionaries associated with the island of the 5th and 6th centuries include Cathan whilst the Irish Text Martyrology of Tallaght makes a reference to Blane, the Bishop of Kingarth on Bute, "in Gall-Ghàidheil".
The island subsequently fell under Norse control and formed part of the Kingdom of the Isles, ruled by the Crovan dynasty.
Kingdom of the Isles
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 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 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, inheriting the throne via his mother. A corresponding title, Duke of Rothesay was created by Robert's son for the heir apparent, 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. The "McCurdy" clan hailed from The Isle of Bute before they left and eventually settling in the States of New York and Pennsylvania after the potato famine of the 16th Century.
During the seventeenth century there were accusations of witchcraft: 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.
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 Argyll and Bute.
World War II
Bute played a major role during World War II, and its naval involvements were especially significant. HMS Cyclops was the depot ship for the 7th Submarine Flotilla and was home-based in Rothesay Bay. A few miles further north at Port Bannatyne 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 of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. 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 of 6-year-old girl Alesha MacPhail after she was taken from her bed by a 16-year-old male. The 16-year-old, Aaron Campbell, 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
Rhubodach to Colintraive
During summer, the paddle steamer 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 (used by Ryanair and cargo airlines Air France Cargo and Cargolux) 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 aligned with St Andrew's Church, the only Catholic Church on the predominantly Protestant 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 who play at the highest level of shinty (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 team are known as the Brandanes, and the junior team are the Brandane Bulls. Bute also has facilities for fishing, rugby, tennis, bowls, and cricket. 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'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. 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 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, who was born on Bute. Another ruined chapel, dating from the 6th century, lies at St Ninian's Point.
The eccentric Mount Stuart House is often cited as one of the world's most impressive neo-Gothic mansions, bringing many architectural students from Glasgow on day trips. The third Marquess had a passion for art, astrology, 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.
Rothesay Castle was built 800 years ago by the hereditary High Steward of Scotland.
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 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
Loch Fad 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 on its beach, which can only be reached on foot across the fields. The island also has many herds of deer, rich bird life and some large hares. Wild goats with large curled horns may be seen in the north of the island.
Port Bannatyne, 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 submarines were stationed in Kames Bay during World War II 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 stone circles, an Iron Age 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 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 Port Bannatyne in the north, with Rothesay as a central point.
Notable residents and visitors
Well known Bute people include:
Nina Allan, writer
Richard Attenborough, film director; owned the Rhubodach estate on the island at one time
Andrew Bannatyne, politician, lawyer and businessman
Blane, 6th Century Irish Missionary
Cathan, 6th Century Irish Missionary
Lieutenant Henry Robertson (Birdie) Bowers (1883–1912), polar explorer, who died with Scott in the Antarctic
Aaron Campbell (2002), murderer
Adam Crozier, former chief executive of the Royal Mail
Johnny Dumfries, 7th Marquess of Bute, Formula One racing driver and 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans 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, actress, played the role of Ali in the 2008 film adaptation of Mamma Mia
Maccai, 5th Century Irish Missionary
Sir William Macewen FRS (1848–1924), surgeon
John William Mackail, writer and scholar
Christopher Priest, writer
Jane Ross, international footballer
John Sterling, critic, journalist and poet
Hector Whitelaw, shinty player and Scotland Vice-captain
Bob Winter, Glasgow's Lord Provost (2007–2012)
Lena Zavaroni (1963-1999), singer; raised in Rothesay
Popular culture
The island features in The Scottish Chiefs.
It was also a filming location for Black Mirrors episode, "Loch Henry".
See also
List of islands of Scotland
Bute mazer
Kingarth
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) [1926]. The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland. Edinburgh: Birlinn. .
External links
Bute's historic sites at Canmore
Port Bannatyne Marina and Boatyard
Port Bannatyne to Glasgow Airlink
Bute Sons & Daughters project
Bute at War (Website detailing Bute's unique role during WWII)
Visit Bute website for events, news, accommodation etc
Bute FM (Community Radio Station)
ButeWiki
Port Bannatyne Petanque Club
Sailing reviews and news
Bute in Pictures, BBC News
Bute on BBC Island Blogging
The Gateway website to the Isle of Bute
Highland Boundary Fault
Islands of the Clyde
Burial sites of the Stuart of Bute family
Islands of Argyll and Bute
Firth of Clyde
Isle of