Useful links
The West Island Way
Opened in September 2000, this long-distance waymarked path – the first on a Scottish island – encompasses some of the finest walking on the Isle of Bute. The West Island Way crosses a variety of landscapes; seashore, moorland, farmland and forest, all providing a continually changing picture of Bute.
The route offers great opportunities to glimpse wildlife – you may be lucky enough to see a Basking Shark offshore at the south end, an Osprey over Loch Fad near Rothesay town, or a Red Deer in the north end of Bute. The Way also passes many highlights of Bute history – from the medieval St Blane’s Chapel at the south of the island to the abandoned townships in Glen More at the north end.
https://www.westislandway.co.uk/
Gillian’s Walks
A really interesting website with details of some of the sections of the WIW plus many other walking routes in Scotland.
https://gillianswalks.com/category/all-walking-routes/long-distance-routes/west-island-way-bute/
Bute Museum
Archaeological projects on Bute have been supported by Bute Conservation Trust during the period of the Discover Bute Landscape Partnership Project. The West Island Way runs close to many sites of archaeological significance. For information and publications on the rich heritage of Bute visit the Bute Museum. https://www.
Wild Flower Walks on Bute
This website, Isle of Bute Wildflower Walks, contains a record of some of the wildflowers encountered by the author in the course of short walks on the island over the last few years. The 20 walks to date are listed and the start point for each walk is shown on a map.
http://isleofbutewildflowerwalks.co.uk/