The Isle of Bute is home to the first long-distance path on any of the Scottish islands: the West Island Way. Over 6 days (with 4 days of walking), we’ll explore a portion of this scenic trail and experience the beauty and the ruggedness of this island. There’s also a chance of spotting wildlife, so keep an eye out! All meals are included in this trip, as well as a terrific local guide, and the most charming accommodation imaginable, at the Glenburn Hotel.
Make your way to the charming Rothesay town on the Isle of Bute. If you arrive by 4 pm, there will be a short orientation walk of Rothesay. At 6 pm, we’ll have a welcome drink at the Glenburn Hotel with dinner to follow. The guide will brief you about the upcoming days.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: The Glenburn Hotel
We’ll take a bus to Kilchattan Bay at the southern tip of the island. The journey takes us through the beautiful grounds of Mount Stuart house, the stately home of the Stuart family. This is a lovely circular walk starting along the coast and then inland, going by the ancient ruins of St Blaine’s church. There may be time after the walk to see either the grounds of Mount Stuart or to visit the heritage museum in Rothesay.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 8 km / 5 miles
Elevation gain: 270 m / 885 ft
Accommodation: The Glenburn Hotel
Once again, a bus will take us to Kilchattan Bay, where we’ll start our day with a gentle walk across to Stravanan Bay. Then we’ll continue inland over moorland past Loch Ascog, and then lovely Loch Fad, before heading back to Rothesay. This is a long walk but the paths are mainly firm tracks with steady ascents. There are fabulous views west to the Isle of Arran!
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 16 km / 10 miles
Elevation gain: 240 m / 790 ft
Accommodation: The Glenburn Hotel
A taxi will take us to Rhubodach at the northern tip of the island. The path climbs steadily on a forest track onto moorland. We then follow a ridge of hills where the path is faint and the ground can be wet (boots recommended for this section). There are great views all along this path and cuckoos are often heard calling in spring. We then descend on a good path to Port Bannatyne and take another path over and round to Rothesay. For those who want, this day can be shortened by taking a short bus journey from Port Bannatyne back to Rothesay making the walk length 10km (6.5 miles) with 320 m (1,050 ft) ascent.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 15.3 km / 9.5 miles
Elevation gain: 430 m / 1,410 ft
Accommodation: The Glenburn Hotel
We’ll take a taxi to Rhubodach again, but then head off uphill through beautiful woodland past the ruined farmstead of Balnakailly to a forest trail. This leads us down over moorland to the Glenmore valley and to a farm track that descends to beautiful Ettrick Bay. We then follow the old tramway path back to Port Bannatyne, where we take a short bus ride back to Rothesay.
In fine weather, we may do this route in reverse, ending at Rhubodach and taking a 5 minute ferry ride over to a lovely hotel at Colintraive for celebratory drinks! Otherwise our drinks will be back at our hotel!
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Elevation gain: 230 m / 755 ft
Accommodation: The Glenburn Hotel
After our final breakfast at the grand Glenburn Hotel, our adventure comes to an end. If you’d like to keep on exploring the area, just ask us for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
While this West Island Way walking tour is beginner-friendly and does not require any previous hiking experience, a basic level of fitness is still a must. You’ll walk between 5 to 10 miles per day (8-16 km)—you can find detailed day-by-day distances and elevation gains in the itinerary. Still, this is a gentle trail with mostly well marked paths. The lowest point is sea level and the highest elevation is 690 m (2,260 ft).
For more adventures in Scotland, click here! Looking to discover more women-only trips? Discover them here!
If you’d like to combine this with another fantastic hiking adventure, check out Women’s-Only Walking Holidays on Isle of Arran, Scotland!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
While wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed, the Isle of Bute is rich in diverse habitats that support a variety of wildlife. An experienced guide will take you to areas where you have the best chances of seeing animals such as sharks, seals, osprey, and red deer. The natural beauty of the island itself, combined with the potential for wildlife encounters, makes every walk a memorable experience!
Group sizes and pricing
West Island Way walking tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your West Island Way walking tour is Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute. To get there, it’s best to first fly into Glasgow Airport (GLA). From Glasgow Central Station take a one-hour train ride to Wemyss Bay. That’s where you’ll take Calmac Ferry to Rothesay. Trains and ferries run every hour or so, and you’ll have no problem reaching Rothesay. Both the train and the ferry are very affordable.
Make sure to arrive by late afternoon for a check-in and orientation guide on Day 1 of the tour.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, we partnered up with Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their insurance packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s insurance. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!