Bute is an ideal introduction to the Clyde – a nice distance to circumnavigate in a couple of days or in one day if you’re in a hurry – the island is a great choice for weekends away.

 

If starting your cruise late in the day – or perhaps as a lunch-stop on your way back home - Millport Bay on the Isle of Cumbrae is a short sail away from Largs, offering sheltered anchorage and visitor moorings given a wind in the right direction. Millport has a good range of places to eat and /or drink – our favourites are the Tavern Bar and the Dancing Midge Café (really!)

 

Other options on Bute en route to the Kyles include the marina at Rothesay harbour (watching out for the ferry movements during which the entrance is closed), the new Port Bannatyne marina, and the visitor moorings at Kilchattan Bay.

 

The Kyles are the narrow passage between Bute and the beautiful Cowal peninsula. They offer wonderful scenery and good shelter in most wind directions, with a range of pleasant anchorages, whether temporary or overnight. On the Cowal side, the pretty villages of Colintraive, Tighnabruaich and Kames each have their own attraction, each with hotels and pubs providing free overnight moorings in return for your custom. Our favourite is the Kames Hotel which offers good food - and where there's a fair chance you’ll be sharing the bar with some of the local shinty team...

 

For a quieter night, anchor in the peaceful and beautiful Caladh harbour which lies opposite the North tip of Bute; and perhaps venture ashore in the morning for a walk to the old boatyard at Tighnabruaich or to the coffee and craft shops beyond… and back, before making your return passage to Largs. There are another half-dozen anchorages around Bute, well worth a visit on another cruise…

 

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