THE WEST ISLAND WAY
The West Island Way is Scotland's first official island long distance footpath and was opened in 2000 to celebrate the turn of the millenium. You could walk it in one epic, two, three, four or even five days.
The route is waymarked, running the complete length of the Island of Bute for around 40 kilometres. It crosses a varied landscape, with a fascinating stretch of coastline, beaches, rich farmland, moors, forests and fine views of Arran and the Cowal peninsula.
We describe the route split into 4 sections though some walkers may prefer to end the walk at Rhubodach to avoid final section along the tarmac road back to Port Bannatyne.
THE CHALLENGE
The West Island Way is fairly well waymarked but gives rough going in places, also with some boggy stretches underfoot.
| Stage descriptions | Length | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1: Kilchatten Bay circular | 8km | 2.5 - 4 hours |
| Stage 2: Kilchatten Bay to Port Bannatyne | 18.5km | 4.5 - 5.5 hours |
| Stage 3: Kames Bay to Rhubodach | 13.75km | 3.5 - 4.5 hours |
| Stage 4: Rhubodach to Port Bannatyne | 8.5km | 2 hours |
ACCOMMODATION AND SERVICES ALONG THE WAY
The Isle of Bute is a popular destination and offers a wide choice of accommodation options.
Kilchatten Bay and Port Bannatyne both have hotels, whilst there is a much larger choice of both hotels and guest houses in Rothesay. Rhubodach does not offer any accommodation or facilities, but is linked back to Rothesay by bus.
It is also possible to break the second stage by making a short detour into Rothesay. It may be convenient to use Rothesay as a base for the entire walk and use public transport to get to and from each stage; the town also has self catering options.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There are two ferry routes to the Isle of Bute. The main service links the capital, Rothesay, with Wemyss Bay, which in turn has a rail link to Glasgow. At the northern end of the island a second ferry runs between Rhubodach and Colintraive on the Cowal peninsula.
On the island itself the east coast is served by buses, with both Rhubodach (via Port Bannatyne) and Kilchatten Bay linked by bus to Rothesay.
Timetables for all the routes can be found on Traveline Scotland.
The following users have walked the West Island Way:
Paul Webster helenw nugget106 macgritter mountainstar kiltedbiggles loates aberdeen Dr Dave warrior shugy AliBe ian@originalart.net kokkie
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