News | Bute Conservation Trust

November 2025: Clearing fallen trees on the Suidhe Wood path

by BCT-admin | Nov 17, 2025 | News

Yet more damage from fallen trees! – this time across the Suidhe Wood path at Kilchattan Bay on Stage 2 of Bute’s West Island Way. Pictures are some of team of volunteers cutting and clearing the branches.

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October 2025: Tree-cutting and other work at the Loch Quien Bird Hide

by BCT-admin | Oct 22, 2025 | News

With a full turnout of our Bute Conservation Volunteers we cleared the overgrown approach to the hide, replaced worn screening by planting willow, repaired the entrance walkway and (last but not least) cut an overhanging tree branch that was threatening to cause damage to the roof. Pictured are Billy Shields in action on the roof plus one of some of the volunteers inside the Hide after completing all the work.

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September 2025: Another successful completion of Bute’s ‘West Island Way’

by BCT-admin | Sep 12, 2025 | News

Many thanks to Nat and his son (pictured on the first stage at the south of the island) for completing the West Island Way and giving us an up-to-date report on the experience. Thanks also for the Membership Donation to support the work of the Trust in looking after our paths and signage.

July 2025: Installing new map and information board frame at the Black Park, Kingarth.

by BCT-admin | Jul 4, 2025 | News

Billy is often behind the camera taking the pictures but in this one he’s seen putting the finishing touches to our replacement frame for the map and information board – as well as having made the new frame. It’s at the popular ancient stone ‘circle’ at the Black Park. It seems that, after sitting quietly near the standing stones for about 20 years, someone recently reversed a vehicle into the old one, breaking both its ‘legs’.

June 2025: ‘No fires please’ signs at the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden

by BCT-admin | Jun 28, 2025 | News

The Bute Conservation Trust volunteers cut the grass and maintain the young trees at the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden at Ettrick Bay. We’ve come across the remains of several camp fires whilst cutting or trimming the grass. We’ve erected signage at the Garden to ask campers to please avoid lighting fires in the Memorial Garden area.

June 2025: Interpretation Panel now added to the bridge at Cairnbaan

by BCT-admin | Jun 28, 2025 | News

During the Neolithic Period (approx 4500 – 2200 B.C.) communities constructed chambered cairns for the burial of the dead. Grave goods were often deposited with the dead in order to help them in the afterlife. There are several well-preserved Neolithic tombs on Bute. Cairnbaan (the white cairn on account of the many white quartz boulders) in Lenihuline Wood stretches for 30 metres with stone chambers at the top and bottom of the cairn. Pictured are: a new Interpretation Panel on the bridge over to the cairn; our volunteers clearing the access around the lower end of the cairn; and the volunteer team taking a break.