Rothesay and the Isle of Bute will always have a special place in my heart. It is where I grew up. It has struggled in recent years as holidaymakers head for the Spanish sun. I returned recently to find out what the people of Bute were doing to keep their community thriving. Continue reading A homecoming
And so our short stay in Bute came to its end. We took another tour of the island, walked the streets of Rothesay, had breakfast at the Ettrick Bay Tearoom and walked up to St Blane’s Church before crossing over the water into Argyll. Continue reading A fond farewell
I thought I knew a lot about Bute, but it turns out I was wrong. I spent the afternoon in the company of David Brown, owner of the WildBute.com tour company, who led me on an entertaining and educational journey across the island that will always be home. Continue reading Wild about Bute
Bute is now home to two distilleries: gin distilleries, that is. And fine gins they are too. Spirit of Bute is a small distillery that adds botanicals to spirits, hand blends whisky and creates rum, while Isle of Bute gin distills its own award-winning gins in a large copper kettle. Continue reading A tale of two gins
No visit to Bute can truly be complete without making the trip to Mount Stuart House and Gardens. Give yourself plenty of time, though, for there is a lot to see and do, and the rest of the island is waiting to welcome you. Continue reading Mount Stuart
We had a busy day scheduled, but decided to ease ourself into things by vsiting two of Bute’s amazing bays: one with the remains of a 6th-century chapel; the other with its own seal colony. Continue reading Two bays
A sort of homecoming. I have been commissioned by VisitScotland to write about my childhood home, the Isle of Bute: about what it was like when I was a child, and what the future holds for this beautiful island I am happy to call home. Continue reading Doon the Watter
Gavin was the commander on our latest photo safari, and the destination was places I had never before visited. Continue reading Aberdeenshire and Moray
I was still grieving the death of our 20-year-old cat. I needed to get out of the house and into the Highlands with my camera and my photo buddy, Gavin. Continue reading To Cowal
During the 16th-century, the poor were not so much cared for as regarded an undesirable nuisance. The history of poor relief at this time is one of institutions passing responsibility from one to the other, and was one of the driving forces behind the Protestant reformation. Continue reading Who cared for the poor?
Lusobrandane 