I had the breakfast room to myself at the B&B this morning, and enjoyed a Full Scottish Breakfast (bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding, beans, potato scone, plus some toast – and a hot chocolate) while admiring the lovely view from the B&B. I’ll miss waking up to that view each day!
Leaving the B&B, I went to do some more sight seeing on the island before heading back down South to cross the border back in to England.
I first wanted to take a look at Ardencraig Gardens, but was disappointed that it isn’t yet open; Too early in the year. Oh well – I’ll have to go back to Bute later in the year maybe.
In Rothesay I visited the Bute Museum to discover the history and geology of the island, which was very interesting. The Isle of Bute Discovery Centre at the Tourist Information office.
I visited the island’s smallest shop too – The Pencil Box. It is a short drive from Rothesay is a red telephone box, used as a book-swap, but also an honesty box shop stocked with postcards and Scottish tablet. Nice way to use a telephone box! Ruth Slater is the artist who created it; It is located on the West coast of the island, just outside her studio.
I drove up towards Ettrick Bay again, but this time drove a bit further to be able to see the Kyles of Bute – the narrow stretch of sea between Bute and the Cowal peninsular of the mainland. I also walked inland from Ettrick Bay to have a look at the St Colmac Stone Circle – I only had vague directions to it but managed to find it okay.
From Ettrick Bay I could see that there was a wildfire burning right here on Bute! I am surprised there are so many wildfires in Scotland at this time of year. The largest is in the Galloway Forest in South West Scotland. Other noteable ones include one on Skye and one North of Inverness.
An independent photographer based on Bute took some photos showing the extent of the Bute fires, which are in the Glenburn hills in the North of the island:
Deciding it was time to get on the road and head for home, I got the ferry across to Colintraive. Scotland’s shortest ferry route, at just 300m, the crossing was completed only a few seconds after the safety briefing finished!
Taking the ferry to Colintraive meant I could take the senic route – longer and slower but more interesting – back towards Glasgow. This was on the Cowal peninsular. To get to Glasgow I followed the coastal road up to near Cairndow where I then followed the A83 and A32 past Loch Lomond (busy today with lots of holiday traffic) and then through Dumbarton, on to the Erskine Bridge, then on to the M8 in to Glasgow itself. The whole journey took about 2 and a half hours. Traffic slow and heavy at times but the scenery was lovely so it was worth it.
In Glasgow I stopped at Pacific Quay (next to the BBC Scotland headquarters, grabbed a quick drink at the Costa there, and hit the motorway (M8, M74, A74(M) and finally M6) for the 131km drive to Tebay Services in Cumbria. That’s where I’m stopping for the night.
For dinner I had a starter of bread with olive oil; For main I had steak and chips. All very tasty; The hotel at Tebay is owned by the same people who run Tebay Services, Gloucester Services and Cairn Lodge Services (Westmorland).
Back home tomorrow.
Good night,
FH.
