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Wullie Davidson: Bus Pass Rambles – Kilchatton Bay Circular Walk

Bute – Kilchattan Bay Circular Walk

The West Island Way

In 2000, Bute opened a 30 mile long distance walk, from the north to the south of the island, called the ‘West Island Way’. I can see what they did there, but think that just ‘Isle of Bute Way’ would have been better. The southernmost part of it, the Kilchattan Bay circular walk, is a 5 mile loop circuit, beginning and ending at Kilchattan Bay. It’s regarded as the best section of the walk for its scenery.  The village is a half mile long row of substantial detached and semi detached houses, with a single shop/PO/tearoom. Not a pub in sight.

At 5 miles, I thought it would be an interesting, leisurely walk. Oh, it was ‘interesting’, all right, but not in the way I expected. I got the 906 Largs bus from Buchanan bus station at 0820, arriving at Wemyss Bay at 0957, with just 8 minutes to get the 1005 ferry to Rothesay. I then caught the 490 bus to Kilchattan Bay at the pier at 1047. It took 29 minutes to do the trip, going through the grounds of Mount Stuart house en route, where all the passengers, except for myself, got off. I noticed a fair few trees down in the grounds, as a result of that big storm we had, but nothing too drastic. At the end of the road at the village, there’s a 300 yard extension that the bus goes down to reach a turning circle, and that’s where the walk begins.

The Walk

The walk is very scenic, with fantastic views to Arran and the Cumbraes. A great many gorse bushes in full bloom, and endless clumps of pink thrift, a common flower on rocky coastal locations. I heard a few stonechats, but couldn’t catch sight of them. They make a very distinctive, far carrying call, which is a bit like two pebbles being dashed together. Features on the way included a small lighthouse, a lochan and St Blane’s church, dating from the sixth century. There’s also a trig pont, from which you can get fantastic views, but I passed on that one.The first part of the walk is pretty arduous, as it’s a boulder field, often with little room between the boulders to put your feet down. I regretted my decision to wear boots, as they felt like blocks of wood on my feet as I tried to negotiate a path between the boulders. Trainers would have been better, as they’re lighter, take up less space and you can feel the ground beneath your feet better. In many places there was no discernible path, and at one point, it was more like rock scrambling than walking. There was a short section where a plastic encased steel rope was provided to hang on to.

Inland Section

After about a mile and a half of wall to wall boulders, I reached the lighthouse. The boulder field ends about 300 yards past it. The walk continues along the coast for a bit, then turns inland. The route is well waymarked, but there are one or two waymarkers that are a bit ambiguous, where you might take a wrong turning. All you have to do is scan the distance and you’ll see the next waymarker to keep you on track. The walk was a lot more tiring than I thought it would be, possibly due to all the ‘jiggling about’ to keep my balance on the very rough surfaces. I do 5 mile walks around my home town, and they are a doddle compared to the Kilchattan Bay circular. There’s no comparison between walking on a road and walking on a very rough track, particularly one with a 1.5 mile boulder field to negotiate.

The inland section was also pretty tiring. I’d see a waymarker on the crest of a hill a few hundred yards away, and think that must be the high point of the walk, and it would be all downhill from there. When I reached the waymarker, there would be a brief descent, followed by yet another steep uphill climb to the next one. That happened about half a dozen times. I began taking ten minute rest breaks sitting on rocks, and was glad I’d had the foresight to bring a bottle of Fanta with me. I’d started the walk at 1120, and didn’t get back into Kilchattan Bay until 1505. So, 3 hours and 45 minutes to walk just five miles. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone got their sums wrong, and it’s actually more like eight mles. It’s a very beautiful walk, and I’m glad I did it, but it’s not for the faint hearted. If you’re fit and relish a challenge, you’ll enjoy it. Otherwise, probably better to pass on this one.

Wullie Davidson, May, 2025

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