The West Island Way

15/05/2024

May 2024: New wire mesh on the Loch Fad Bird Hide walkway

Being ripped and becoming slippery in places, it was time to renew the netting on the long walkway into the Loch Fad Hide. It’s done well given that it’s often been submerged when the Fad’s water level is high. Many thanks for assistance from the Mount Stuart Ranger Service for helping us today.

11/05/2024

May 2024: Volunteers keep the Ettrick Bay Memorial Garden looking it’s best

It’s early days for the trees planted in the new Memorial Garden but the grass certainly grows quickly. Conservation Trust volunteers have been out cutting and strimming to keep the garden looking good for locals and visitors.

11/05/2024

May 2024: Volunteers keep the Ettrick Bay Memorial Garden looking it’s best. It’s early days for the trees planted in the new Memorial Garden but the grass certainly grows quickly. Conservation Trust volunteers have been out cutting and strimming to keep the garden looking good for locals and visitors.

26/04/2024

April 2024: New safer route to avoid the eroded section on the Lighthouse Path

The continuing erosion of a short section of path in the route from Kilchattan Bay to the Glencallum Bay Lighthouse has been a concern for the past couple of years. A solution has been found by opening a new path at a slightly higher level and installing a steel cable handhold for extra safety. We are grateful to Bute Blacksmiths for helping us design the project and for carrying out the installation. We also acknowledge the contribution of the Co-op Community Fund in funding the project.

20/03/2024

March 2024: Co-operative Community Fund

Pictured is our Chair, Billy Shields, representing the Trust at a recent publicity event in the Rothesay Co-op. Huge thanks to the Co-op for supporting us again via their Community Fund.

19/03/2024

March 2024: Replacement trees at Memorial Garden, Ettrick Bay

Some of the young trees planted in the Memorial Garden have not survived. Pictured are the Bute Conservation Trust volunteers and Mount Stuart colleagues replacing all the dead trees after taking delivery of 80 replacement trees, plus new compost and mulch mats.

09/02/2024

The Bute Conservation Trust volunteers were out again to clear another fallen tree from the West Island Way route in the forest section above Glen More in the north of Bute.

16/01/2024

Renewing the rope rails at the entrance to the Loch Quien Bird Hide
Bute Conservation Trust volunteers have renewed the ropes on the boardwalk into the Quien Bird Hide. The old ropes were showing their age and were heavily covered in moss. Apart from that the Hide is in excellent condition. We’ve even cleaned the windows!

27/11/2023

November 2023: Clearing encroaching whins and trees on path down to Westlands Road

A good turnout of our Conservation Volunteers let us clear a long stretch of overgrown pathway on the West Island Way path at Westlands Road. Heavy duty strimmers and chainsaws helped get the job done in a morning. Pictured are Before, During and After pictures plus the team of volunteers (apart from Billy Shields who’s taking the picture)

23/11/2023

We have 'merch'!
That’s merchandise if you’re not “down with the kids”!
We’ve collaborated with the Bike Shed/Bute Signs and have produced
some lapel pins and T-shirts to raise money for the coffers. You can
buy yourself a souvenir of your West Island Way trip at the Bike Shed
website. Click this link

Teaming up with Bute Conservation Trust we have created merchandise in t-shirts and pin badges. Exclusively available from us online or in store

23/11/2023

We are at the beginning of our year as one of the Co-op Community
Fund’s ‘good causes’.

We spent an hour at the Rothesay store speaking to shoppers to explain
what Bute Conservation Trust do and to make them aware that they can
consider supporting us by going to their Membership Account and
choosing us as their nominated ‘good cause’.

07/11/2023

We’re delighted to announce that Bute Conservation Trust have been selected as one of the Co-op Community Fund good causes for the next 12 months. The money raised will be spent on looking after 50 miles of country paths on the Isle of Bute including the ‘West Island Way’. We get a bigger share of the fund if Co-op Members select us as their chosen good cause!

26/10/2023

October 2023: 'Paths for All’ for a happier, healthier Scotland

Pictured are some of our volunteers accepting ‘Paths for All’ certificates recognising the Bute Conservation Trust’s work in preserving the many pathways on the Isle of Bute. Local Councillor Reeni Kennedy-Boyle put the volunteers forward for this award and is pictured presenting the certificates at the carved stone that marks the end of Bute’s ‘West Island Way’.

26/10/2023

October 2023: Clearing up after Storm Babet

The West Island Way forest path at the north of Bute took quite a battering from Storm Babet. Pictured are Donald and Billy clearing one of the smaller trees from the track. A few larger trees will require the forestry expertise of Mount Stuart Estate for complete removal but the West Island Way is now accessible with care.

26/10/2023

October 2023: Clearing bracken and fixing boardwalks at the Cairnbaan Path
The path up to the historic burial site called Cairnbaan was very overgrown. Pictured are the Conservation Trust volunteers having fixed the broken boardwalk and now clearing the stile of bracken.

26/07/2023

In the northeast corner of the South Wood of Lenihuline forest on Bute, is a chambered cairn known as Carnbaan ('white cairn’). The cairn probably dates to the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age), which covers a huge range of dates from 4500-2200 BC. A signposted path to the chambered cairn can be found between the Glecknabae parking area and Kilmichael Farm. The footbridge near the cairn was in a poor state (pictured) and has now been completely rebuilt by the volunteers (pictured) from the Bute Conservation Trust.

03/06/2023

May 2023: Keeping path clear near the Plan Farm

Our conservation volunteers were out midweek to cut back whim bushes that were obstructing the West Island Way path near the Plan Farm at the south end of Bute. Cutting back was kept to a minimum in order not to disturb any nesting birds.

13/05/2023

May 2023: Clearing drain on West Island Way path near Kilchattan Bay

A blocked field drain was causing water to overflow and erode the path. The team of Bute Conservation Volunteers sorted it out and all should be well next time we have heavy rain. Wasn’t easy…took all morning.

29/03/2023

March 2023: Repairs to the Bird Hide at Ettrick Bay
After nearly 20 years the walkway at the entrance to the hide was in need of some repairs. Pictured are members of the Bute Conservation Volunteers replacing sections of the boardwalk and rails.

17/02/2023

A broken footbridge has been removed by the Bute Conservation Volunteers and the finger post re-positioned at a location more convenient for walkers heading uphill to Kelspokes Castle and Settlement. Many thanks to Mark Low from Mount Stuart and to Jock Somerville.

17/02/2023

A team of Bute Conservation Volunteers have tidied up the route from Ardscalpsie car park up to Tarmore Hill Viewpoint and onward to the Bicker’s Houses Chambered Cairn. Stone steps have been cleared, whins cut back and waymarkers made more visible.

26/01/2023

January 2023: New Gate Post at Dunagoil Bay

The ‘kissing gate’ leading to the Iron-Age Dunagoil Vitrified Fort has been repaired by installing a new strainer post. Fortunately the kissing gate is not as muddy underfoot as the main farm gate! Follow this Link to the Historic Environment Scotland website for more information on the ‘vitrified fort"

Copy of colour slide showing detail of vitrified mass, Dunagoil, Bute NMRS Survey of Private Collection Digital Image Only

18/01/2023

Wanted: a new Secretary
If you would like to help the Bute Conservation Trust look after the pathways on Bute and the West Island Way, we are urgently looking for a new Secretary to take Minutes at 6 meetings a year plus at our AGM.
Please share and if you or anyone you know would be interested you can contact us here on our social media accounts or by using the contact form on our website @

Preserving the built and natural heritage on the Isle of Bute in Scotland

23/11/2022

November 2022: Fence installed on West Island Way path near Airstrip

The Conservation Trust have contributed to the cost of fencing the stretch of West Island Way pathway from the Plan Road down to the Airstrip. The adjoining field is sometimes used to graze cattle - with the inevitable churning up of the path surface. Installation of this livestock fence should will help keep the path in good condition.

23/11/2022

November 2022: Clearing a tree blocking the gate leading to Cairnbaan Chambered Cairn

Beyond Glecknabae and on the track to Kilmichael, is a signpost and path up to an ancient burial cairn known as Cairnbaan (translated as the 'white cairn’). The Conservation Trust maintains the signage, a style and the gate in the picture showing the tree blockage being cut.

15/11/2022

The Annual General Meeting of the Bute Conservation Trust will take place on Thursday 1st of December 2022 at 7:30pm at the United Church of Bute in Rothesay. Light refreshments will be available. Annual Subscriptions are now due and remain at £10 per annum.

Invitations have been sent direct to existing Members. Anyone considering membership, or simply interested in the work of the Trust, is also welcome to attend. Alternatively, write to us using the contact form on our website https://www.discoverbute.co.uk

05/11/2022

November 2022: Donation from Rothesay Coop ‘Local Community Fund’ Members

This year the Bute Conservation Trust is delighted to receive the generous amount of £9,341.11 raised by Coop members. The money will help us continue to maintain the paths, gates, maps and signs on our network of walks on Bute, including the Tramway Path and the 30 mile West Island Way. Pictured at the handover in Rothesay Coop are our Billy Shields (Chairman) and James McMillan (Trustee).

14/10/2022

A major landslip above the shore at the 'Hawk’s Neb’ in 2019 swept away the path leading from South Kelspoke. It has not been possible to safely reinstate the damaged section. To warn walkers we have replaced temporary signs with more permanent ones near Kilchattan Bay.

08/01/2022

December 2021: Clearing storm damage on the Cnocnicoll Wood path.
A stormy December day brought down a large trunk of an old beech tree. It landed across the pathway through Cnocnicoll Wood, close to the track of Moor Road. Pictured is Billy Shields cutting the trunk into manageable lengths to allow the other volunteers to roll them the logs well away from the path.

12/11/2021

Fallen tree blocking Suidhe Wood Path: The Bute Conservation Trust team of volunteers spent a busy morning cutting up a tree blown down in the recent stormy weather.