Mount Stuart And The Isle of Bute
The script
To get to the Isle of Bute you need to go to a place called Wemyss Bay to catch the ferry. To get to Wemyss Bay you follow the M8 out of Glasgow then follow the A78 through Port Glasgow and Inverkip The ferries are run by Cal Mac – the company who run all of the major Scottish ferry services.. The ferries to Bute go about once an hour and a return with a car costs something like £30. Most people just turn up and go – nothing to prebook.
So we drive onto the ferry, park and and go up to the passenger deck. The ferry is on it’s way in a matter of a couple of minutes. Then there is just time for a cup of tea and a bun whilst you enjoy the ride and look out for any interesting birds or sea life. Sadly on this trip we saw none.
Half an hour later we are pulling into Rothesay Bay on the Isle of Bute. We drive off the ferry and within moments we have driven out of Rothesay.
A few minutes later we are pulling into the Mount Stuart Visitor Centre carpark
We go into the rather nice visitor centre to buy the tickets – the whole purchase process is tortuous and prolonged. It takes a long time to get your tickets. The house tickets are timed because you have to have a guided tour – the number of tours is limited and you may have to wait a long time. You’ve come a long way and to give up here would not be good.
Once through though you enter some verdant woodlands and wander down the paths.
The orangery is more properly known as the Barretts Octaganol glass pavilion. It was a centrepiece at the 1989 Glasgow Garden Festival – before being moved here and planted with these exotic trees.
Then we are wandering down more green forest paths.
Then the main Mount Stuart building appears. What do you call this ? – A home – or maybe gothic palace extraordinary . This is the back of the building facing out to sea over the manicured lawns. The red gothic sandstone exterior covers a modern iron backbone, which from the start had central heating, electricity and telephones.
When we approach the front of the building we are beguiled by a rock garden with a dense planting and streams. The azaleas shimmer like flowering gems as the waters cascades over the rills.
The front of the house has an extraordinarily large entrance porch and steps. We are booked on the tour and it starts as we enter the jaw dropping Marble Hall. Lets listen to the guide for a moment or two.
Then we are in the drawing room which has an amazing ornament. The fireplace, ceiling, stained glass are fantastic enough but the walls have an astonishing collection of religious art – much from the renaissance. There is no time to linger on the tour but we can enjoy a few moments now.
We go through other extraordinary rooms but there is no time to linger as we move on to the final masterpiece the marble chapel and here it is.
An hour has passed and we are back out enjoying the wee garden.
Eventually we tear ourselves away and drive down deserted roads to try and see the seals at Scalpsie bay.
So we say farewell to the Isle of Bute. The Island is soft easy and almost deserted. Mount Stuart is a gothic masterpiece wow which we could have explored for far longer if we had had the chance.
I hope you’ve enjoyed watching this video and that you choose to visit soon. Thanks for watching.
Part of a series of videos I make because I can. Enjoy
The Bayview - Rothesay, Bute - United Kingdom
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The Bayview hotel city: Rothesay, Bute - Country: United Kingdom
Address: 21 22 Mountstuart Road; zip code: PA20 9EB
Set on the isle of Bute, a 15-minute walk from Rothesay town centre and pier, this Victorian house offers panoramic views over Rothesay Bay, free Wi-Fi, a bar and a sun terrace.
-- Situé sur l'île de Bute, à 15 minutes à pied du centre-ville et de la jetée de Rothesay, le Bayview Hotel est une maison victorienne offrant une vue panoramique sur la baie de Rothesay, une connexion Wi-Fi gratuite, un bar et une terrasse bien...
-- Esta casa victoriana, con vistas panorámicas a la bahía de Rothesay, conexión WiFi gratuita, bar y solárium, está ubicada en la isla de Bute, a 15 minutos a pie del centro de la ciudad de Rothesay y su muelle.
-- Auf der Insel Bute, nur 15 Gehminuten vom Stadtzentrum von Rothesay und der Seebrücke entfernt, bietet Ihnen dieses viktorianische Haus Panoramablick auf die Rothesay Bay, kostenloses WLAN, eine Bar sowie eine Sonnenterrasse.
-- Dit Victoriaanse huis bevindt zich op het eiland Bute, op 15 minuten lopen van het stadscentrum en de pier van Rothesay. Het biedt een panoramisch uitzicht over de baai van Rothesay, gratis WiFi, een bar en een zonneterras.
-- Ospitato in una casa vittoriana situata sull'isola di Bute, a 15 minuti a piedi dal molo e dal centro di Rothesay, il Bayview Hotel regala viste panoramiche sulla Baia di Rothesay e offre la connessione WiFi gratuita, un bar e una terrazza solarium.
-- 这栋维多利亚式房子位于Bute岛，距离罗斯西（Rothesay）镇中心和码头有15分钟的步行路程，提供罗斯西湾的美景、免费无线网络连接、一间酒吧和一个阳光露台。 Bayview Hotel酒店的所有客房都配有电视、收音机、吹风机和茶/咖啡设施。大部分的客房都享有罗斯西湾的景色；其他客房则通往着外面的花园。 早晨提供自助早餐，包括各种麦片和水果。您还可以享受传统的粥或全套苏格兰早餐；晚餐提供时令美食。 Bayview...
-- Этот гостевой дом с панорамным видом на бухту Ротсей занимает викторианское здание, расположенное на острове Бьют, в 15 минутах ходьбы от пристани и центра города Ротсей. К услугам гостей бесплатный Wi-Fi, бар и терраса для загара.
-- يقع فندق Bayview على جزيرة بوت، ويبعُد مسافة 15 دقيقة سيرًا على الأقدام عن وسط مدينة روثسي والرصيف، وهو عبارة عن منزل فيكتوري يوفر إطلالات بانورامية على خليج روثسي وخدمة الواي فاي المجانية، ويتميز ببار وتراس شمسي.
-- Αυτή η βικτοριανή κατοικία βρίσκεται στο Bute, σε απόσταση 15 λεπτών με τα πόδια από το κέντρο της πόλης Rothesay και την προβλήτα. Προσφέρει πανοραμική θέα στον κόλπο Rothesay, δωρεάν WiFi, μπαρ και ηλιόλουστη βεράντα.
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Ferrari Owners club Scotland West run to Mount Stuart Isle of Bute HD
One from the archives, a Ferrari owners club run from a few years back,
The Glenburn Hotel - Rothesay - United Kingdom
The Glenburn Hotel hotel city: Rothesay - Country: United Kingdom
Address: Mount Stuart Road; zip code: PA20 9JP
Situated above its own terraced gardens, The Glenburn Hotel is a Victorian sandstone building which offers panoramic views across Rothesay Bay to the Cowal Peninsula. Rothestay town centre is just a 15-minute walk away.
-- Surplombant ses propres jardins en terrasse, Le Glenburn Hotel est un bâtiment de grès victorien qui offre une vue panoramique sur la baie de Rothesay et la péninsule de Cowal. Le centre-ville de Rothestay se trouve à seulement 15 minutes à pied.
-- El The Glenburn Hotel, situado por encima de sus propios jardines aterrazados, es un edificio de arenisca de estilo victoriano con vistas panorámicas a la bahía de Rothesay y a la península de Cowal.
-- Das Glenburn Hotel befindet sich in einem Sandsteingebäude im viktorianischen Stil und liegt oberhalb der eigenen Terrassengärten. Hier erwartet Sie ein Panoramablick von der Rothesay Bay bis hin zur Halbinsel Cowal.
-- The Glenburn Hotel is gevestigd in een victoriaans zandstenen gebouw met een panoramisch uitzicht over Rothesay Bay en het schiereiland Cowal. Het ligt boven de eigen terrastuinen, op 15 minuten lopen van het centrum van Rothestay.
-- The Glenburn Hotel酒店位于带露台的花园上方，是一栋维多利亚风格的砂岩建筑，享有整个Rothesay Bay海湾至Cowal Peninsula半岛的全景，距离Rothestay镇中心仅有15分钟步行路程。 The Glenburn酒店的每间客房都提供连接浴室、数字电视和沏茶/咖啡设施。 酒店设有宴会厅，大多数晚上都提供现场表演。客人还可以在酒店内的酒吧和餐厅享用美食和饮品。 镇中心分布着各种商店、体育设施和中世纪城堡。Bute...
-- Отель Glenburn, из окон которого открывается панорамный вид на залив Ротсей полуострова Ковал, находится над собственными висячими садами и занимает викторианское здание из песчаника.
-- يقع The Glenburn Hotel فوق حدائق المدرجات الخاصة به وهو عبارة عن مبنى من الحجر الرملي الفيكتوري الذي يوفر إطلالات بانورامية عبر خليج روثسي إلى شبه جزيرة Cowal. يقع وسط مدينة Rothestay على بعد 15 دقيقة فقط سيرا على الأقدام.
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Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute, Scotland.
A visit to Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute, 5 september 2016.
Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute
Mount Stuart House on the east coast of the Isle of Bute, Scotland, is a Gothic Revival country house and the ancestral home of the Marquesses of Bute. It was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson for the 3rd Marquess of Bute in the late 1870s, replacing an earlier house by Alexander McGill, which burnt down in 1877. The house is a Category A listed building.
The house is the seat of the Stuarts of Bute, derived from the hereditary office Steward of Bute held since 1157. The family are direct male-line descendants of John Stewart, the illegitimate son of King Robert II of Scotland, the first Stuart King, by his mistress, Moira Leitch. By virtue of this descent, they are also descendants of Robert the Bruce, whose daughter Marjorie was mother of Robert II by her marriage to Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland.
The original house was built in 1719 by the 2nd Earl of Bute, but rebuilt by the 3rd Marquess of Bute following a fire on 3 December 1877. After his earlier creations of Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in Cardiff, the Marquess used many of the builders and workman he had employed in South Wales, including William Burges and much of that architect's team. Burges built an oratory at the house. The main part of the present house is a flamboyant example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture, built in a reddish-brown stone. Mount Stuart's major features include the colonnaded Marble Hall at the centre of the main block and the Marble Chapel, which has an elaborate spired tower which is the tallest part of the building (not visible on photo above). Two earlier wings in a strikingly different style survive. They are much smaller in scale, have Georgian-style sash windows and are painted white.
Much of the furniture was custom-designed for the house by Robert Weir Schultz in the early years of the 20th century. He also laid out many sections of the gardens.
The Mount Stuart House claims to be home to the world's first heated pool in any house, it was the first home in Scotland to be lit by electricity and so may have been the first to have an electrically heated pool. Certainly any tradition of fire-heated encasements and pool water in British houses goes back to the Roman era.
In April 2016 it was announced that a Shakespeare First Folio had been discovered in the House's Library.
The house is open to the public.
Source: Wikipedia
Did you know?
Mount Stewart owns the first edition of a book of Shakespeare, published in London in 1623, and is the first time is exposed to the public, is valued at millions of pounds.
In the room of St Margaret, it is the silver box-shaped heart, which contains part of the heart of Robert the Bruce.
The next room is the room of Henry 8th, has the bed, and mobility belonging to the king.
Mount Stewart was the first house to have electricity and elevator.
Today you can use the massage room and pool, have a drink of champagne, whisky and smoking , eating a cake, and use one of the rooms, which are usually rented for weddings.
The building is made of iron and marble from Carrara, Italy, stained glass ceilings that let in outside light, give a magical effect to the house.
Unlike other houses and palaces, all containing Mount Stewart, is original.
The property is invaluable.
Credit Photos: M.Parkins & D.Martin ©2016
Credit video : Scottish Community Coimhearsneachd na h-Alba ©2016
Mount Stuart Isle of Bute
The last day of the Easter break on the Isle of Bute with the Monklands Ramblers. We leisurely walk round Mount Stuart Monday 17th April
2017
Mount Stuart Isle of Bute October 2016
I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator (
Places to see in ( Rothesay - UK )
Places to see in ( Rothesay - UK )
The town of Rothesay is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Rothesay can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay which offers an onward rail link to Glasgow. At the centre of the town is Rothesay Castle, a ruined castle which dates back to the 13th century, and which is unique in Scotland for its circular plan. Rothesay lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde.
The old town centred around Rothesay Castle, which dates from the 13th century. Long-ruinous it is nevertheless picturesque, and formed a focal point for tourists from the beginning of its evolution into a seaside resort. Rothesay was the county town in the civil parish of Rothesay in county of Bute, which included the islands of Great Cumbrae, Little Cumbrae and Arran. The county buildings, now partially closed down, overlook the castle. During the Victorian era, Rothesay developed as a popular tourist destination.
The heir to the British throne is known in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay. This practice was begun by Robert III, who regularly resided at Rothesay Castle, and first granted the title to his son David in 1398. The title was given to the heir of the Scottish throne until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Unlike the equivalent English title of Duke of Cornwall, there is no land attached in the form of a Duchy. The main landowner on the island is the Marquess of Bute, whose principal seat, Mount Stuart, is located a few miles to the south.
Rothesay is no longer the seaside town it used to be, with more tourists going to warmer countries such as Spain. However, since the recession tourist numbers have increased. Rothesay was granted a multimillion-pound harbour development project just in time for an arrival of the next generation lower firth ferries Argyle and Bute.
( Rothesay - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Rothesay . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Rothesay - UK
Join us for more :
Isle of Bute, Mount Stuart Gardens.mp4
Even in late September, the Gardens close to the house are colourful and peaceful.
The Ardyne, Rothesay
The Ardyne, 38 Mount Stuart Road, Rothesay, Argyll and Bute, PA20 9EB, Scotland
Click on the blue link above to read more about The Ardyne or to book your stay there.Or visit for bargain prices on many more hotels in Argyll and Bute in the UK and around the globe.
Chandlers - Rothesay - United Kingdom
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Chandlers hotel city: Rothesay - Country: United Kingdom
Address: Ascog Bay, Rothesay, Isle of Bute; zip code: PA20 9ET
Featuring free WiFi and a sun terrace, Chandlers offers accommodation in Rothesay. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. Free private parking is available on site. Each room includes a flat-screen TV.
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St.Ebba B&B, Rothesay, United Kingdom HD review
St.Ebba B&B - Book it now! Save up to 20% -
On the banks of Loch Striven in the Isle of Bute, St Ebba B&B offers bed and breakfast accommodation just 1 miles from Rothesay Castle. This Rothesay bed and breakfast provides en suite rooms with free parking and Wi-Fi.
All rooms at St Ebba B&B have a TV, wardrobe, seating area and tea and coffee facilities. Each has an en suite shower with hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.
Full Scottish breakfast is served in the dining room overlooking Rothesay Bay. The breakfast buffet includes fruit juices, fresh fruit, cereals, cheese, yoghurts and pastries, as well as tea, coffee and toast with preserves.
St Ebba B&B is around 5 minutes’ drive from the ferry port, with crossings running from Wemyss Bay to Rothesay. The Victorian house Mount Stuart sits in extensive gardens just over 3 miles away, and the town’s pretty town centre and harbour are within 15 minutes’ walk.
St Andrews Castle
St Andrews Castle has a violent and grisly history!
The castle's bottle dungeon is a dank and airless pit cut out of solid rock below the north-west tower. It housed local miscreants who fell under the Bishop's jurisdiction as well as several more prominent individuals such as David Stuart, Duke of Rothesay in 1402, Duke Murdoch in 1425, and Archbishop Patrick Graham, who was judged to be insane and imprisoned in his own castle in 1478. (Too dark to film bottle dungeon!)
There has been a fortification of some sort on this site since the 12th century. The castle was built as a defensive residence by Bishop Rodger. It has 400 hundred years of violent history and was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Incorporated into the Fore Tower are the remains of the Gate Tower built in 1200. It fell to the English in 1296, during which improvements were made in preparation to receive England`s King Edward. The Scots retook the castle in 1314 and dismantled it as part of Robert the Bruce`s policy of slighting castles.
Bishop William Lamberton made repairs to the castle from 1315 to 1320. In 1330 the castle again fell to the English. In 1337 the castle was recaptured by Sir Andrew Moray, Regent of Scotland, in a siege that lasted three weeks. The Scots destroyed the castle so that it would be unusable therefore preventing it from falling into English hands.
It lay in ruins until the end of the 14th century when Bishop Walter Trail ordered the castle to be rebuilt. He died here in 1401. It became the residence of the most powerful church leaders in Scotland. James I received his education from Bishop Henry Wardlaw here. Bishop Wardlaw was the founder of Scotland`s first University in 1410.
In 1521 Archbishop James Beaton began refortification of St. Andrews to withstand artillery fire. In 1537, he named his nephew, David, his appointed successor. In 1538, David became Archbishop of St. Andrews and a Cardinal of the Church.
Patrick Hamilton learned the teachings of Martin Luther and studied in Paris before he returned to the University at St. Andrews to teach. A supporter of the new reformation views, the Archbishop of St. Andrews had him arrested for heresy. Found guilty he was asked to recant, refusing to do so he was sentenced to death. On a cold, wintry day in February 1528, Patrick was burned at the stake outside St. Salvator`s Church. The difficulty of lighting the fire and the need to relight it several times prolonged the agony of his death for over six hours. It is said that the reek of Patrick Hamilton infected all on whom it blew, and, also, that an image of his face appeared miraculously on one of the stones on the clock tower as he died.
The Archbishop of St Andrews, Cardinal David Beaton (1494-1546), had the Protestant Preacher, George Wishart, taken to North Street in March 1546, where he was tied to a stake and burned alive. It is said Beaton watched this gruesome event from the comfort of the Bishop`s Castle. This made him many enemies.
It was not long after Preacher Wishart`s execution a group of Fife Lairds, who were Protestants, entered the castle dressed as workmen and found Beaton asleep in his bed (May 1546). His slain body was hung, naked, from the battlements of castle`s Tower House. And so like a butcher he lived, and like a butcher he died, and lay seven months and more unburied, and at last like a carrion was buried in a dunghill. The rebels held the castle for about a year, during which time the Earl of Arran held siege on the castle inflicting extensive damage. The castle was bombarded by cannon fire. He had guns mounted on the towers of St. Andrews Cathedral and St. Salvator`s Church. He finally defeated the rebels, one of whom was John Knox, with the arrival of the French fleet adding more cannons to the artillery`s fire power.
Archbishop John Hamilton succeeded Cardinal Beaton. Again the task of rebuilding the castle had begun. Upon his release, Knox returned to Scotland more dedicated than ever to the Protestant cause. In 1559, his preaching during the Reformation roused the fanatics in the mob to the point where they ransacked both the castle and Cathedral, eventually destroying them both. The Act of Annexation turned the castle and it`s land over to the Crown in1587. It then fell to ruin and in 1654 it was dismantled supplying building material for the harbour walls.
A mine and countermine had been dug from inside the castles grounds. Rediscovered in the 1900`s during local construction, was a large chamber where a underground battle had taken place. Further excavation uncovered a countermine with several false starts, making these siege works the finest of its kind in Europe.
Today's visitors are able to make their way down the countermine and into the mine, though it's not somewhere for those with claustrophobia!
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6th Prime Minister: The Earl of Bute (1762-1763)
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
Argyll & Bute From The Sky
Drone footage showing off the beautiful Argyll.
Shot on 3 drones - GoPro Karma, DJI Spark and DJI Mavic Air.
Edited using Final Cut Pro X.
The Stewarts at Traquair House, Scotland
Find out more about the Stewarts in our souvenir magazine: Discover the many links between Traquair House – Scotland's oldest inhabited house – and the Stewart Kings and Queens of Scotland in this special guide, which includes the last bed Mary Queen of Scots slept on in Scotland and the cradle in which the infant King James VI slept.
Rothesay Isle of Bute My friend Rhona.
March '14,midnight.
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The Victoria Hotel - Rothesay Isle of Bute - United Kingdom
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The Victoria Hotel hotel city: Rothesay Isle of Bute - Country: United Kingdom
Address: 55 Victoria Street; zip code: PA20 0AP
With beautiful views over the Winter Gardens and Rothesay Bay, The Victoria Hotel offers elegant rooms and 2 high-quality restaurants. Within 2 minutes’ walk of Rothesay Castle, this family-run hotel provides free WiFi and has free parking nearby.
-- Offrant de magnifiques vues sur les jardins d'hiver et Rothesay Bay, l'établissement The Victoria Hotel vous propose des chambres élégantes et 2 restaurants de haute qualité.
-- El The Victoria Hotel ofrece habitaciones elegantes, alberga 2 restaurantes de alta calidad y tiene vistas preciosas a los Jardines de Invierno y a la bahía de Rothesay.
-- Mit einer herrlichen Aussicht über Winter Gardens und die Rothesay Bucht bietet das The Victoria Hotel elegante Zimmer und 2 hochwertige Restaurants. In 2 Gehminuten erreichen Sie das Schloss Rothesay Castle.
-- The Victoria Hotel biedt elegante kamers, 2 kwaliteitsrestaurants en een prachtig uitzicht over de Winter Gardens en Rothesay Bay. Dit door een familie beheerde hotel ligt op 2 minuten lopen van Rothesay Castle en biedt gratis WiFi.
-- 家庭经营的The Victoria Hotel酒店距离Rothesay Castle城堡有不到2分钟步行路程，享有冬季花园（Winter Gardens）和Rothesay Bay湾的美丽景致，设有典雅的客房、2间高品质餐厅、免费无线网络连接和位于附近的免费停车场。 每间客房均设有电视、衣柜、沏茶/咖啡设施以及带浴缸、淋浴、吹风机和洗浴用品的连接浴室。 The Victoria Hotel酒店每天早晨供应早餐。Ghillies Bistro小酒馆全天提供食品。 Victoria’s...
-- В отеле Victoria с красивым видом на Зимние сады и залив Ротсей к услугам гостей элегантные номера и 2 ресторана высокого качества. Этот семейный отель с бесплатным WiFi и бесплатной парковкой поблизости находится в 2 минутах ходьбы от замка Ротсей.
-- يُوفر فندق Victoria إطلالات جميلة على الحدائق الشتوية وخليج روثسي، ويضم غُرف أنيقة ومطعمان بجودة عالية.
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