The West Island Way

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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.

08/06/2026

Pictured are a group of the Bute Conservation Trust Volunteers (other than Donald who took the picture) – this time to complete the installation of a new stile over the field d**e and to make general repairs to the bridge – new handrail, new wire netting and general levelling up the bridge and making it safe. In addition to the ‘West Island Way’ the Trust looks after many other paths around Bute. See the map extract for the location of the footbridge and the Straad walk routes marked in green.
The map is £9.95 and available from Printpoint in Rothesay or online from here: https://www.cordee.co.uk/isle-of-bute-discover-the-cwn242.html

03/06/2026

June 2026: Grass-cutting and trimming at the Memorial Garden, Ettrick Bay
Not the best of weather today but a handful of our Bute Conservation Trust volunteers turned out to cut and strim the grass at the ‘Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden’ at Ettrick Bay. Well done Billy, Roger, Ronnie on the strimming and Jock on the open area cut with his tractor.

10/05/2026

May 2026: New steps on the path from Scalpsie Bay shore up to the Viewing Platform

The original steps served many years of service but had become badly worn. We’ve installed new steps and handrail to make the route safe and sufficiently sturdy to last a long time.

08/02/2026

February 2026: Gates, signposts and whin clearing near St Blane’s Chapel

The Bute Conservation Volunteers were out in force on a very cold February morning checking and fixing gates, fences, waymarkers, signposts plus cutting back overgrown whins encroaching our West Island Way path. Pictures include one of the team back together after the job (minus Donald who took the pic)

01/12/2025

November 2025: Tramway path surface refreshed and widened

Although the Tramway Path is regularly walked, grass still creeps in over time making some sections very narrow. Thanks to Stewart Strathie and Ambrisbeg Quarry, recent works have restored the surface to its proper width.

13/11/2025

November 2025: Clearing fallen trees on the Suidhe Wood path

Yet more damage from fallen trees! - this time across the Suidhe Wood path at Kilchattan Bay on Stage 2 of Bute’s West Island Way. Pictures are some of team of volunteers cutting and clearing the branches.

20/10/2025

October 2025: Tree-cutting and other work at the Loch Quien Bird Hide

With a full turnout of our Bute Conservation Volunteers we cleared the overgrown approach to the hide, replaced worn screening by planting willow, repaired the entrance walkway and (last but not least) cut an overhanging tree branch that was threatening to cause damage to the roof. Pictured are Billy Shields in action on the roof plus one of some of the volunteers inside the Hide after completing all the work.

12/09/2025

September 2025: Another successful completion of Bute’s ‘West Island Way’

Many thanks to Nat and his son (pictured on the first stage at the south of the island) for completing the West Island Way and giving us an up-to-date report on the experience. Thanks also for the Membership Donation to support the work of the Trust in looking after our paths and signage.

04/07/2025

July 2025: Installing new map and information board frame at the Black Park, Kingarth.

Billy is often behind the camera taking the pictures but in this one he’s seen putting the finishing touches to our replacement frame for the map and information board - as well as having made the new frame. It’s at the popular ancient stone ‘circle’ at the Black Park. It seems that, after sitting quietly near the standing stones for about 20 years, someone recently reversed a vehicle into the old one, breaking both its ‘legs’.

28/06/2025

‘No fires please’ signs at the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden

The Bute Conservation Trust volunteers cut the grass and maintain the young trees at the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden at Ettrick Bay. We’ve come across the remains of several camp fires whilst cutting or trimming the grass. We’ve erected signage at the Garden to ask campers to please avoid lighting fires in the Memorial Garden area.

Address

Castle Street
Rothesay

Website

http://www.westislandway.co.uk/

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