scenic viewpoint
Goatfell
Arran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
25 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Isle of Bute
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Isle of Bute
Isle of Bute is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Wemyss Bay, 38km from Loch Lomond.
Isle of Bute is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 7,200 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Wemyss Bay, about 11 km away.
The Isle of Bute (Scots: Buit; Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Bhòid or An t-Eilean Bòdach), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault.
Formerly a constituent island of the larger County of Bute, it is now part of the councilRead more
area of Argyll and Bute. Bute's resident population was 6,498 in 2011, a decline of just over 10% from the figure of 7,228 recorded in 2001 against a background of Scottish island populations as a whole growing by 4% to 103,702 for the same period.
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Isle of Bute?
Within an hour or so of Isle of Bute: Goatfell (25 km), Brodick Castle (28 km), Arran Coast Road (A841) (31 km), Crinan Canal (36 km).
Are there any good drives near Isle of Bute?
The nearest famous roads are Arran Coast Road (A841), Rest and Be Thankful (A83) and Electric Brae.
Where is Isle of Bute?
Isle of Bute is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 11 km from Wemyss Bay.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 7,228
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.8366, -5.0559
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Isle of Bute
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Brodick Castle
A red sandstone castle and country park above Brodick Bay on Arran, with woodland gardens and a rhododendron collection.
28 km · about 30 min drive
coastal drive
Arran Coast Road (A841)
The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Crinan Canal
A nine-mile canal across Knapdale linking Loch Fyne to the Sound of Jura, its sea lock and basin at Crinan a popular stop.
36 km · about 40 min drive
ancient ruins
Machrie Moor Stone Circles
Six Bronze Age stone circles on open moor on Arran's west coast, including tall red sandstone pillars; a 30-minute walk from the A841.
37 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Loch Lomond
Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.
38 km · about 45 min drive
cafe
The Oak Tree Inn
A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.
42 km · about 50 min drive
ancient ruins
Kilmartin Glen
One of Britain's densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments, with a linear cemetery of burial cairns, standing stones and cup-and-ring rock art.
43 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Isle of Bute
- 25 kmGoatfellArran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
- 31 kmArran Coast Road (A841)The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
- 44 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 45 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
- 54 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
- 73 kmGlen OrchyA single-track alternative to the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Dalmally, following the tumbling River Orchy through birch woods.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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