Mount Stuart is a Neo-Gothic country house with extensive gardens on the east coast of the Isle of Bute.
The house is the seat of the Stuarts of Bute and was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson for the 3rd Marquess of Bute in the late 1870s, to replace an earlier house by Alexander McGill, which burnt down in 1877.
The house has a visitor center that takes you through the history of the family and estate.
In this 'you may also like' section we attempt to answer what else can I do? Here you have a list by order of being the closest some more beaches, things to see and do, places to eat and upcoming events.
Kilchattan Bay beach sits alongside a small village on the southern tip of Bute. The beach is sandy and extends northwards from the village, which comprises rows of fisherman’s houses built out of stone from the local quarry, you still have the original stone pier although the later wooden one has been demolished. The beach is also known as Wee Read more…
Ettrick Bay has a flat coarse sandy beach on the West coast of Bute and has some good views of Arran. The beach is a wide beach and approximately 1.7 km long and at low tide can stretch out 500m from the high tide mark. At either end of the bay, you have some rocky outcrops and the beach is Read more…
Dunoon West Bay is a sweeping shingle beach backed by a promenade. A little confusing in its name is that the beach faces South into the firth of Clyde. Read more…
Ascog Fernery and garden is part of Ascog Hall. Ascog Hall is renown for the Victorian fernery and most beautiful, fairytale gardens on the Isle of Bute. This is a wonderful spot to visit if you’re in Edinburgh or Glasgow as it’s not too far from either. The gardens here date back to 1870 and were replanted over the last two Read more…
Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Built by the Stewart family, it survived Norse attacks to become a royal residence., the castle comprises a large curtain wall, strengthened by four round towers, together with a 16th-century forework, the whole surrounded by a broad moat. The castle fell into ruin after the 17th century, Read more…
This is one of the best surviving and still in use Victorian public toilets in the UK. Commissioned by the Rothesay Harbour Trust in 1899, the gents lavatory interior walls are clad in ornately patterned ceramic tiles and the floors are designed with a ceramic mosaic. With the exception of the cisterns in the cubicles, all the original fitments remain. Read more…
Castle House Museum is a historic building set in gardens opposite Dunoon Pier. The Castle House itself was built by Lord Provost James Ewing of Glasgow in 1820’s on the site of a ruined medieval castle. Until 1975, Castle House was the Chambers of Dunoon Town Council before housing the former public library. The museum exhibits, models and photographs that tell Read more…