The West Island Way is a waymarked route of some 30 miles on the small Scottish Island of Bute and is one of Scotland’s Great Trails. The route takes in a contrasting and fascinating geology that features both Lowlands and Highlands scenery. It can be walked over two or four days.
Small isle, big walk
The Island of Bute measures just 15 miles by four miles yet a waymarked route, The West Island Way, takes you through a hugely varied and fascinating geology that features both Lowlands and Highlands scenery.
West Island Way: Island of Bute
Loch Fad on the Scottish west coast Isle of Bute lies on the striking geological line of the Highland Boundary Fault. It is also located in one of island’s three glaciated valleys and, poignantly for walkers, close to the mid-way point of a long-distance walking route, the West Island Way, which traces an elongated figure of eight from south to the north.
As I sit for a while on the banks of this beautiful stretch of inland water, relishing the tranquillity and warm afternoon sun after many hours of walking, my mind wanders down memory lane to the geography classes of secondary school.
If only a trip to Bute had been a compulsory part of the curriculum then I am sure I would have better understood the creation of Scotland’s landscape.
For despite being a small island, measuring just 15 miles by four miles, Bute boasts impressively varied scenery shaped by many fascinating geological manifestations.
Most significantly, the Highland Fault Line, which was formed some 375 million years ago, bisects Bute from Scalpsie Bay in the south-west to the main town of Rothesay in the east and creates a distinctive Highlands and Lowlands divide.
To the north, hard metamorphic rocks form a rougher and more rugged scenery, although the island hills rise to no higher than 277m at the summit of perfectly named Windy Hill. In the south, the countryside is mostly lower and gently undulating being composed of softer sedimentary rocks.
There is another geological feature at the southernmost point of Bute, too, where basalt lava outflows, created from a vast area of volcanoes that were active on the west coast mainland some 250 to 300 million years ago, have formed a small area of mini ridges, hills and cliffs.
The much later Ice Age has also left its mark on this island with several u-shaped valleys running across Bute and many raised coastal beaches.
Over two days of hiking on the 30-mile (48km) West Island Way (WIW) I devour the landscapes like a student geologist.
History of the West Island Way
The waymarked route was Scotland’s first official long-distance island footpath and was opened in 2000 by broadcaster Janet Street Porter when she was president of The Ramblers.
It was the brainchild of former treasurer of Bute Ramblers, Ivor Gibbs, who still smiles at he reveals his clever play on words of the mainland West Highland Way. He says: “I thought Bute should have its own West Highland Way and I called it the West Island Way.”
The Bute Conservation Trust (BCT) has long had a major role in the upkeep, maintenance, construction and, more recently, new signage and routing of the WIW and was instrumental in securing funding for the Way via the Discover Bute Landscape Partnership Scheme.
The walk is achievable in two big days or more easily over four shorter days.
Kilchattan Bay Loop
Even before I start the WIW close to the southern village of Kilchattan, waiting for my companions, Jim Campbell and Eddie New of Bute Ramblers, to pull on gaiters, I discover an information board that details another amazing feature of Bute’s geology, “hexagonal-shaped columns of jointed sandstone”.
A new WIW signpost, made of oak, points us along a path that hugs the south-eastern edge of Bute, skirting a rocky shoreline with immediately spectacular views across the Firth of Clyde and towards the neighbouring isles of Great and Little Cumbrae.
The large sandstone villas seen in Kilchattan are testament to the days when steamships travelled the Clyde bringing Glasgow holidaymakers “doon the watter” to seaside towns on the mainland, Bute and other islands of the Clyde.
The route continues south and rises slightly to journey beneath a large rock slab, known as Hawk’s Neb (hawk’s beak). The outcrop clearly reveals the folds and layers of the Old Red Sandstone that is predominant in the south.
A little further on, another signpost points to a path that detours on to a low hill for wider coastal views. It’s also the site of ruins of medieval Kelspoke Castle.
The West Island Way travels further south, around small headland where a squat steel-built lighthouse, Rubh’an Eun, was erected in 1911. The lighthouse marks the west side of the entrance to the Clyde estuary and is well worth a closer inspection by striding and hopping across large slabs of rocks and pools of seawater.
Looking west, the northern end of the larger island of Arran becomes visible and with a surprising topping of snowy icing despite the warm spring sunshine.
Back on the route another coastal gem, Glencallum Bay, forms a perfect crescent of dark grey sands at the foot of Glen Callum and its strange landscape of volcanic rocks. Jim points to the remains of a building, set back from the beach.
He reveals: “That was once an inn, which I think is impressively located at the end of the glen and below an ancient hill road used by local people long ago.”
Inland from the coast
The Way turns inland just past Glencallum Bay to climb via several small ridges of volcanic formation, like undulating rocky underlay beneath a thick carpet of mossy grassland.
A pretty lochan, Loch na Leighe is viewed from the path just above and well-known for attracting wildlife. Whooper swans, little grebes, teal and herons are visitors, and otters sometimes take up residence.
Bute is a haven for other wildlife, too. Basking shark can be spotted off-shore at the south end, osprey are seen at Loch Fad, while there are plentiful conies (rabbits), hare, deer, foxes and wild goats.
Signposting is fairly easy to see on the WIW although you do need to keep your eyes peeled among the vibrant green hues of the landscape, which dips and rises with a beautiful irregularity towards the next attraction of St Blane’s.
Edging The Plan Farm and then along a drystane dyke, the views suddenly widen again with the fertile land of the south-west coast of Bute gently falling towards a mirror-still sea and, in the distance, the clear outline of Arran’s many contours, hills and mountains.
Jim points in the direction of a ruined fort, Dunagoil, thought to have been built in 200 BC, and occupied until 100 AD. He says: “It is a vitrified fort and there are all kinds of stories of how this came to be. It’s a memorable place to visit.”
All at once, we’re upon the atmospheric site of St Blane’s Chapel resting in a verdant hollow set beside several fine, tall trees. Formerly the capital of Bute, the chapel dates to the 12th century and is associated with St Blane, a monk who was born on Bute and went on to found Dunblane Cathedral.
Although in ruins today you can still see the end walls and intricate carvings. Jim says: “I’ve heard that the men buried here occupy a more elevated position than the women. That’s the somewhat non-PC Middle Ages for you!”
More evidence of old settlements, typically farms, are passed at Kingaven and Branser, as the route takes a north-easterly direction. Useful “swing” signposts offer historic details and the walker is told there is more information at Bute Museum.
The next section of the route is the steepest part on the southern loop but holds the promise of the rewards of another panoramic view from a high of some 140m. It certainly doesn’t disappoint and as we round the hillside of Suidhe Chatain a vista opens up over Bute and the yellow sands of Kilchattan Bay.
For many walkers, the first five-mile (8km) circular stage from Kilchattan, which finishes with a descent through pretty woodlands into the village, is the perfect distance for a half-day hike with the next section of the WIW to Port Bannatyne reserved for another day.
More southern beauty
Leaving Kilchattan again, the route zigzags north towards the centre of the island checking in at another picturesque beach, Stravanan, on the west coast, this time with sands tinged a reddish-yellow, before joining a short section of road.
Walkers turn off on to a wide track, Lord James Ride, so-called because a young descendent of the Marquess of Bute wanted a place he could ride his horse fast and straight, or so it’s told!
Lord James certainly created a scenic legacy with some of the best island views seen from the Ride. At viewpoint on a high bealach between two rounded hill summits, Eddie declares: “This is my favourite place on Bute
“You can see so much of Bute, which is a perfect island in my opinion, and over to Arran and the tiny isle of Inchmarnock, as well as the long legs of the Cowal and Kintyre peninsulas. I could sit here all day.”
But we have a day’s walk to finish and at a crossroads in a track we turn left on to The Moor Road stopping at another viewpoint before the start of a gentle descent. Mount Stuart, the eccentric neo-Gothic mansion house built by the Third Marquess of Bute in Victorian times is signposted as a 1.5-mile detour along a trail.
Saving a visit to the house for another day, we continue past Loch Ascog, a water supply for Rothesay and a popular fishing spot, growing ever closer to Loch Fad and that Highland Fault Line.
From this point, the West Island Way ventures into Highlands-style landscape although still on a miniature scale compared to the mainland.
It is possible to drop in on Rothesay, a seaside resort that grew up in the Victorian era, before the village of Port Bannatyne further north along the coast and the end of the official second stage of the route.
Above the line
A night at the welcoming Munro’s (a self-catering house), between Rothesay and Port Bannatyne, and a fantastic breakfast gave me the energy for another two-stage walk, from Kames to Rhubodach and back to the port, to complete the WIW on the second day.
Again enjoying early spring sunshine, I headed off to explore the northern loop, this time accompanied by Bill Stein, chair of BCT, and keen local walker Maggie McArthur.
The official start is Kames Bay, followed by a short section of road before joining The Tramway Walk, a revamped part of the route of a horse-drawn tramway built in the late 1800s to take holidaymakers from Rothesay to Port Bannatyne and Ettrick Bay.
Turning right on to a singletrack road that leads to an off-road trail, the contrast of terrain and scenery from the previous day is remarkable. The WIW ascends through farmland and rough moorland in picturesque Glen More before entering atmospheric and peaceful forestry. It’s highly reminiscent of the mainland Highlands, albeit on a smaller scale.
At the north end of the route there are several options: To walk the A886 south along the north-east coastline; to follow new signposts also heading south but over hills and wilder moors; and an extra optional 5km Balnakeilly Loop before taking either route south.
I would highly recommend the Balnakeilly Loop that heads to Rubha a’ Bhodaich passing the eerily deserted ruins of a farmstead. From the shoreline at the headland I spot a seal, its head popping up several times in the scenic waters of the Kyles of Bute.
A National Scenic Area
North Bute forms part of the Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland, and the views along the narrow water channel between the island and Cowal peninsula are superb from the higher-level return route. The walking is more challenging on rougher terrain and there are several hills to walk over and contour around yet the rewards are huge.
Maggie, who has lived on Bute all her life, says: “I have never before been to this part of the island but it is now my favourite place to walk with my dog. The views are incredible and it feels so remote and adventurous.”
A fitting final view from the West Island Way, as walkers make the last descent on tarmac towards the beach at Kames is the splendid castellated mansion house of Kames Castle. Originally the seat of the Bannatyne family, Kames is one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in Scotland.
Perhaps Bute should also be a must-visit for history students, as well as those studying geology and geography. I know I learned more on this one small island than I ever did in a school classroom.
Walk the west Island Way
| Stage descriptions | Length and time |
| 1: Kilchattan Bay circular, Kilchattan to Kilchattan. Mostly easy to follow path that can be rough and quite steep in places. Heads along a rocky coastline, over grassy mini ridges, farmland and through woodland. | 8km 2.5 to 4 hrs |
| 2: Kilchattan Bay to Port Bannatyne Paths, wide tracks, a short section of road. | 18.5km 4.5 to 6 hrs |
| 3: Port Bannatyne to Rhubodach Cottage Road, Tramway path, forestry track, open moorland with little or no obvious path. Keep an eye out for the next signpost for directions. | 13.75km 3.5 to 5 hrs |
| Alternative 3. Port Bannatyne to Rhubodach Cottage via Balnakeilly Loop Forestry track, path and road. | 13.75km 3.5 to 5 hrs |
| 4. Rhubodach Cottage to Port Bannatyne via high moorland track mostly no path and on rough ground. Follow direction from one signpost to next. Can be boggy in places, especially after rain, although some sections of board walk are being built. | 8km 2.5 to 4 hrs |
| Alternative 4: Rhubodach Cottage to Port Bannatyne by low-level coastal road Tarmac road. | 8½km 2 to 3.5 hrs |
On the island, the east coast is served by buses, with both Rhubodach (via Port Bannatyne) and Kilchattan Bay linked by bus to Rothesay. Timetables for all the routes can be found on Traveline Scotland at www.traveline.info.
Travel to Bute: There are two ferry routes to the Isle of Bute. The main service links Glasgow by rail to Wemyss Bay, then Calmac ferry to Rothesay. At the northern end of the island a second ferry runs between Rhubodach and Colintraive on the Cowal peninsula. See www.calmac.co.uk
MAPS: OS Explorer 362 and the Discover Bute Landscape Partnership Scheme Map from Visit Scotland at the Discovery Centre (beside Rothesay Pier) or local shops. Also available from publishers Stirling Surveys Footprint Maps.
Further info:
- West Island Way website
- Bute Conservation Trust at www.discoverbute.co.uk.
Also read 5 less visited Scottish walking trails.