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Rothesay is a the largest Town on the Isle
of Bute, 42 miles west of Glasgow, with
regular Ferries running
from the Port Village of Wemyss Bay,
35 minute crossing, 7 miles. Regular Trains run
between Glasgow Central and Wemyss Bay.
Rothesay is popular for its Castle,
Marina, Discovery Centre with large Gardens
with Putting, and Bute Museum, all close to the
Ferry Terminal. St Mary's Chapel with a Knights
Tomb is a half mile south of the centre, and
Mount Stuart
Mansion 4 miles south with regular Buses from
Rothesay.
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Map for top Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is of the Ferry Terminal and
Train Station
at Wemyss Bay. This scenic little Station
opened in 1865, allowing passengers to get off
the Train then straight onto a Ferry.
The Ferry trip takes about 35 minutes with a
Cafe on board both Ferries. A Ferry departs
every hour from about 07.00 - 20.00.
The Marina and Guildford Square are by the
Ferry Terminal at Rothesay, with most of the
Shops and Cafes around the Square, also where
Buses depart. The Victorian
Toilets by the Pier are a top
attraction.
Open Top Buses
run from mid May to September visiting the top
attractions on the Island, including Mount
Stuart Mansion.
Rothesay Castle is a short walk up behind
the Square, with it being involved in Battles
with Vikings, English, Oliver Cromwell, and was
once a Royal Castle of the Stewart's. The Town
grew around the Castle.
You can visit the Castle and explore its
Grounds, Rooms, watch a History Video, and
climb to the top for great views. Castle
Page
The Bute Museum is
across the road from the Castle, giving
information on the Island.
Just north of Guildford Square is the
Discovery Centre with large Gardens, Fountain
and Putting. The Discovery Centre has a Cafe,
Museum, and 90 seat Cinema. This Building was
completed in 1924 as part of the Winter
Gardens.
The United Church of Bute with the small
Saint Mary's
Chapel, has a Knights Tomb from the 1300s,
possibly a Stuart.
Saint Mary's is about half of a mile from
Rothesay centre, up the High Street.
Rothesay was a top Hydrotherapy / Spa Town
from the late 1800s, where people would indulge
in Water Treatments in the top Hotels. The
Treatments from that time are now often
described as Torture.
This was one of the top Holiday Destination
for Glaswegian's from the 1850s, with regular
Steamers
running from Glasgow to Rothesay in summer,
with Rothesay having about 13 Hotels and 15
pubs at one time.
Inexpensive package holidays to Spain in the
1970s, led to Rothesay becoming a much quieter
Resort.
Other top attractions on the Island are
St Blane's
Church on the south side of the Island, and
a hike to the top of 500ft St Blane's Hill by
the Church for great views all around. Map
Kingarth Standing
Stones are next to the narrow Plan Road
leading down to St Blane's Church, across the
road from the small Airfield.
Rothesay Attractions
The Postcodes have links to Maps and
Reviews.
Bute Museum on
Stuart Street PA20 0EP
Rothesay's
Victorian Toilets at The Pier PA20 0AH
Loch Fad Trout Fishing
2 miles southwest of Rothesay centre PA20 9PA
Balnakailly
Woodland Walks 8 miles north of Rothesay
Map
Kames Castle 3 miles
north of Rothesay by Port Bannatyne, private
with accommodation can be viewed from the A844
roadside just northwest of the town PA20 0QP
Walking
Routes
Rothesay and Bute History
7,000 BC - People were living on Bute with
Flint Tools found from that period.
3,000 BC - two sets of Standing Stones were
built on the south side of Bute where Bute
Airfield is today, and one at Ettrick Bay on
the west side of the Island.
People living on Bute would have lived by
small scale farming of Oats, Barley, rearing
Cattle, and Fishing.
500s - St Blane founded a Christian
Monastery at Kingarth on the south side of the
Island.
800s - Vikings began taking control of Bute
and most other Western Isles, destroying St
Blane's Monastery.
1100s mid - St Blane's Church was built on
the south side of Bute where the Monastery
stood.
1200s early - King William I / the Lion,
took control of Bute, granting the Island to
Alan, 2nd High Steward of Scotland, with the
name Stewart evolving from this family.
The earliest parts of Rothesay Castle were
built at that time to defend against Viking
raids, with Vikings taking the Castle in 1230
and 1263 for short spells.
1266 - the Treaty of Perth
led to King Alexander III taking control of all
the Western Isles from the Vikings, after a
series of Conflicts led to the Vikings seeking
peace.
Alexander of Dundonald, the 4th High Steward
of Scotland, was in control of Rothesay Castle
from 1266.
1320? - St Mary's Church was built in
Rothesay, with the Chapel containing two 1300s
canopied tombs, one a knight's tomb, the other
a lady's tomb, said to be of the Stewart
family.
1300s - Kames Castle was built 3 miles north
of Rothesay for the Bannatyne family after
gaining land through Royal Charters, with them
often working with the Stewart's.
1385 - Sir John Stewart, an illegitimate son
of King Robert II Stewart, descendant of King
Robert the Bruce, was given control of Bute,
with his descendants still owning land on Bute
to this day.
1550s - the name Stewart was changed to
Stuart after Mary, Queen of Scots used the
French way of spelling.
1560 - the Protestant Reformation led to St
Blane's Church falling into ruin.
1600s - Rothesay had about 80 fishing boats,
mainly for Herring, a time the Towns population
was only a few hundred.
1650s - forces of Oliver Cromwell took over
Rothesay Castle as the English Civil War spread
into Scotland over Scots continuing to support
the Stuart Kings.
1660 - King Charles II Stuart was returned
to the throne.
1685 - Rothesay Castle was burned during an
attack by Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of
Argyll, as he fought against King James VII
over religious beliefs.
The Stuart's of Rothesay then began living
in a Mansion on Rothesay High Street.
1692 - St Mary's Church in Rothesay was
demolished as it was in ruin, leaving just the
small Chancel / Chapel.
1692 - a Parish Church was built next to St
Mary's Chapel in Rothesay.
1716 - the earliest parts of Mount Stuart
House were built for James Stuart, 2nd Earl of
Bute, about 4 miles south of Rothesay.
1700s mid - Potato harvesting grew
dramatically on Bute, with Potatoes brought to
Britain in the 1580s, but seen for a while as
being poisonous, or only fit for animals.
1779 - a Cotton Mill opened in Rothesay
attracting workers to the town.
1796 - John Stuart became the 1st Marquess
of Bute through his political service and
massive land accumulation.
The Stuart's of Bute built up their wealth
through Cardiff Docks, Railways in Wales taking
Coal to the Docks, renting Land to Farmers from
their Estates in Scotland and England, and
more.
1796 - a new Parish Church was built in
Rothesay to replace the one built in 1692, next
to St Mary's Chapel.
1801 - The Bannatyne family built the port
village of Kamesburgh / now Port Bannatyne, 2
miles north of Rothesay, half of a mile south
of their Kames Castle, to attract Tourists and
Trade.
1810 - the Bannatyne family sold Kames
Castle to James Hamilton to pay off debts.
1816 - the 2nd Marquess of Bute began the
partial restoration of Rothesay Castle.
1818 - one of the first Steam Ferries named
Marquis of Bute began running between Rothesay
and Glasgow on the Mainland, about a 40 mile
trip.
Pleasure Steamers soon followed with
Rothesay becoming a popular destination for
Glasgow people on day trips or holidays.
1822 - Rothesay Pier was built from this
time with stone.
1833 - the Bute Arms Hotel was built as the
towns top Hotel at that time, with most of the
other 3 and 4 story high buildings along the
Front being built from that time.
Many rich people from the Mainland built
Villas around Rothesay Bay from this time.
1841 - a Census recorded over 7,000 people
were living in Rothesay.
1843 - the large Glenburn Hotel opened in
Rothesay, becoming the first Spa Hotel in
Scotland, for water treatments and health
cures.
Many other Hotels and Guest House open
around that time.
1863 - the Stuart's bought Kames Castle and
Land.
1870 - Steam powered Passenger Ferries began
operating from Wemyss Bay with a 7 mile
crossing, with regular Trains running between
Glasgow and Wemyss Bay.
1877 - the original Mount Stuart House was
damaged by fire, leading to the House seen
today being built in Gothic Revival style.
1882 - the Rothesay Trams began running.
1900s - there were about 13 Hotels and 15
Pubs in Rothesay.
1905 - the Bute Museum opened, with it now
on Stuart Street by Rothesay Castle, in a
building built by the 4th Marquess of Bute in
1927.
1922 - the War Memorial was built by the
Pier with 240 names for WWI, 87 names for
WWII.
1924 - the Rothesay Winter Garden, a large
circular cast-iron and glass structure was
built by the Pier, on the site of an earlier
Victorian bandstand.
1936 - the Rothesay Trams stopped
running.
1950s - the Rothesay Creamery opened,
leading to the expansion of Dairy Farms across
Bute.
1954 - the first Car Ferry began running
between Wemyss Bay on the Mainland and Rothesay
named Cowal.
1961 - Rothesay Castle was taken over by
Historic Environment Scotland to serve as a
Museum.
1980s - John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess
of Bute, also known as Johnny Dumfries, was a
racing driver with one season in Formula 1 in
1986.
1990s - Guildford Square was laid out in the
centre of Rothesay, by the Pier, after two
Banks and the Bute Arms Hotel were
demolished.
2001 - the Rothesay Winter Garden was
converted to the Isle of Bute Discovery
Centre.
2002 and 2003 - the Mount Stuart Motorsport
Classic was held at Mount Stuart, but the
Ferries and Hotels failed to cope with the
number of visitors, leading to it being
cancelled in 2004.
2010 - the Rothesay Creamery closed, leading
to the decline in Dairy Farms on Bute.
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