It was a perfect day to revisit Bute and just walk so that is what I did.  The ferry runs frequently from Wemyss Bay so it’s easy and,  although it was very misty at the onset, it was apparent that it would soon burn off.

That’s the other ferry heading back to Wemyss Bay. There were a lot of those huge jellyfish in the water I had seen in Largs and what I think were Channel Porpoise but trying to take a photo of them proved impossible as they only come up briefly for air.

Once in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh I had watched a guy cutting the extremely steep lawn and here I saw someone doing the same at the Rothesay castle.

This mower floats on a bed of air like a hydroplane.

There is a street in Rothesay called The Serpentine and it must be tough to both drive and walk.

And I hadn’t noticed this 2 meter clock before.

It was pretty much on time.

Nor had I seen this WWI/ II memorial bench.

 

After I had spent some time in Rothesay I hopped the bus to Kilchattan Bay which is the end of the line and then headed south for a stroll via the West Island Way.

A real “edge of nowhere” kind of walk with no objective but to enjoy the weather and views. Eventually I came upon a sign indicating that due to erosion the path forward was rather hazardous so I actually did the sensible thing.  I turned around.  It was one of the moments, as I saw the terrain ahead, where I realized I had a real good chance to turn a great day into a disaster for if I had fallen or twisted an ankle, I would have been in a bad location to receive assistance.

I had met the 75 year old, lifetime island resident J.Edgar on the bus and, when I could understand his accent, he was nice enough to point things out to me along the ride. We both got off at the end of the line, me to go walking and J.Edgar to make a wee fire and have his pork pie lunch.

The bird screeched at me the whole time I was in her area and  is probably a buzzard which is a type of hawk in the UK not a vulture as we would call it in the States about the size of a red-tail.  Probably had a nest nearby because when I headed off the path in it’s direction it began to make more noise and fly from tree to tree.

And the smell of gorse, as I have noted before, filled the air with the scent of cocoa butter.

As you might be able to see even on the good part of the path it was smart to pay attention to each step.

 

When I decided to put an end to my progress I found a nice cave with a board bench to just hang out, burn some time and enjoy being on a Scottish island on a near perfect day.

When I got back to where I had stepped off the bus I spent some time with a couple who were just getting ready to walk the walk I had just completed.  They were AirBnB hosts and we talked about that experience for awhile whilst watching a pod of a couple dozen porpoise a 150 meters or so off the shore chasing mackerel. Then knowing that the bus had to pass me eventually I started walking back to the next stop where, sitting on a bench, I found J. Edgar.  The bus didn’t come for nearly an hour so we, or should I say he, just chatted. And the crac was good.

The bus drive actually stopped a couple of times so we could take pictures of the seals sunbathing.

After seeing J.Edgar off to his pub tour when we got back to Rothesay I went to find out when the next ferry would depart.  I was told soon, so I went to the closest pub for a 1/2 pint as a full one would have had to be rushed, and Belhaven Best should be savored not rushed only to have J. Edgar stroll in for his second port of call. We laughed about who was following whom.

Sometimes the wording on signage is quite interesting and I totally agree with the sentiment on this one.  There is still a lot to see on Bute and next time I think I’ll book a room on the island

Back to the caravan to finish the kidney & mushroom stew I had made and pack for my next leg.

Some observations about the caravan & holiday park:

At $50/£39 per night with kitchen it was a good deal even for a single. And very convenient to rail, bus and ferries. A nice chippy shop and cafe  just outside the park.  And the best haggis at the butcher.

But no towels!?!? Not paper and not bath.  Weird. I used pillowcases after showering and picked up paper towels in divers public loos, haha

Dodgy heating.  First off the instructions for lighting the gas fireplace didn’t work since it was electric and it would not run consistently often shutting off before the place was really warm on wet days.  Or it wouldn’t shut off automatically.

All the kitchen utensils (sans flipper or spatula), plates, glasses, pot, pans you might need but no dish soap.

No Wifi as I said and where is was offered, in the clubhouse, it was so painfully slow that some days I could not download any photos.

The caravans are so closely packed that when the kids in the next ones ran inside theirs is sounded like they were in mine and since there was so little to do, with 4-5 different families during my 14 day stay, someone was always crying. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “Daddy or Mummy, I’m bored” in that whiney British way.

And finally seagulls and crows.  With the huge potential for scraps the birds were constantly hustling and when they landed on the metal roof it was deafening.  I’m very surprised that the park hasn’t installed deterrents like the spinners one sees on boats or the fake predator cats or even a line of banners running along the peak.  Any of these might have helped.

So pluses and minuses, but at least I got to rest up, see some great places and I now know about holiday park living so overall a positive experience.