The Bute: Wild and Free
Driving
Appreciate all of Bute’s untamed beauty on this Wild and Free route
This tour is 22 miles long, please allow at least 1 hour to complete it, excluding the time taken to enjoy the destinations along the way.
Explore stunning golden sand beaches beloved by locals and tourists alike, and secluded bays reigned over by native seal colonies. Absorb Victorian Bute’s passion for botany in one of its many garden estates – some of them home to the world’s rarest species of plants, flowers and trees. Don’t miss out on the volcanic cliffscape panorama of Dunagoil, which though it no longer bears signs of its Neolithic past, still presents an impressive spectacle against the skyline of the coast.
What you'll see
Winter Gardens Discovery Centre - Isle of Bute
Parks & Gardens
The Discovery Centre and Winter Garden is just a short walk from the ferry terminal and so makes a great starting place for visitors to Bute.
04 The Bute
Ardencraig Gardens - Isle of Bute
Parks & Gardens
The stunning Ardencraig Gardens, situated in Rothesay, were originally designed as part of the nearby Ardencraig House.
04 The Bute
Ascog Fernery - Isle of Bute
Parks & Gardens
Ascog Hall and its stunning Victorian Fernery is a fascinating day out, especially for nature lovers.
04 The Bute
Mount Stuart Gardens - Bute
Parks & Gardens
Mount Stuart is a Victorian rural manor built in the Gothic style and surrounded by 300 acres of gloriously maintained grounds and gardens.
04 The Bute
Kilchattan Bay - Isle of Bute
Towns & Villages
Kilchattan Bay is a small village on the south of the Isle of Bute which lies at the foot of a steep hill called the Suidhe Chattan.
04 The Bute
Dunagoil - Bute
Nature & Wildlife
Home to the vitrified fort of Dunagoil, the cliff and caves around Dunagoil provide a scenic background for imaginative adventurers.
04 The Bute
Stravanan Bay - Isle of Bute
Nature & Wildlife
Stravanan Bay itself is a fine sandy beach, more secluded than many of the better known beaches further up the west coast of the isle.
04 The Bute
Scalpsie Bay - Isle of Bute
Nature & Wildlife
Look out for resident wildlife when exploring the coppery sands of Scalpsie Bay, located on the west coast of Bute.
04 The Bute
St Ninian’s Bay - Isle of Bute
Nature & Wildlife
Also known as The Straad, St Ninian’s Bay is another small bay on the west coast of Bute.
04 The Bute
Ettrick Bay - Isle of Bute
Nature & Wildlife
Ettrick Bay is a stunning, wide sandy beach on Bute’s west coast.
