1St Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps And/Or Street View) INSTRUCTIONS for FAMILY & FRIENDS

1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS

Getting Here There are 2 Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry routes to the Isle of Bute. The first is the main route between Wemyss Bay on the mainland and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. A train service runs between Glasgow Central station and Wemyss Bay, calling at Paisley Gilmour Street station and several other stations on the way. The second is the route between Colintraive on the mainland and Rhubodach on the Isle of Bute – it is not recommended that you use this route if you do not have your own vehicle. www.calmac.co.uk Getting Around Kilchattan Bay is about 9 miles south of Rothesay; the main town on the Isle of Bute. If you don’t have your own vehicle the bus service between Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay takes about 25 minutes and runs roughly one per hour. www.westcoastmotors.co.uk/timetables/isle-of-bute Monday – Saturday No. 90/490, Sunday No. 493. The route between Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay takes you past several places of interest such as Mount Stuart House and Gardens, Ardencraig Gardens (a bit of an uphill walk from the bus stop) and Ascog Hall Gardens and Victorian Fernery. On ‘Summer’ weekdays some buses continue beyond Rothesay to and from Ettrick Bay on the north-west of the Isle of Bute but please check return times carefully before you venture there by bus. Driving there either go left when you come off the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay ferry and drive for 8 miles turning left at the Kingarth Hotel or drive straight as you get off the ferry and turn right at the Kingarth hotel after around 8 miles. The Flat Rockvale is about halfway along the village of Kilchattan Bay and is the only yellow/blonde sandstone building in that part of the village. To reach the flat go up the lane between Rockvale and Daisybank then turn right. You will see the spiral staircase. Please take a torch with you as the spiral staircase can get dark. Before you go up the stairs, the Yale key to the flat is in a ‘Keysafe’ box inside the coal cupboard at the foot of the spiral stairs – the ‘Keysafe’ box is mounted inside the door frame on the hinges side of the door. Please contact either Alan or Colin (numbers below) for the ‘Keysafe’ combination number. • The storage heaters in the kitchen and living room heat up overnight and therefore will not give out much heat until the morning after they are switched on (the heater in the hall refuses to work, sorry).

(a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS

The convector heaters in the bedrooms start heating as soon as they are switched on. There is an open fire, a two-bar electric fire and a halogen heater – any or all of which can be used until the storage heaters start being effective. • During colder months (1st November through to the 31st March) a condition of our buildings insurance insists that the water is turned off at the stop valve when the flat is going to be unoccupied for more than 24 hours, so you may need to turn it back on. The stop valve is in the bottom left side of the cupboard in the back bedroom. • The electric water heater should be on but check the switch next to the heater on the back wall of the cupboard in the back bedroom. • The shower main switch is in hall. • The cutlery drawer is in one side of the kitchen table. • The television needs to be turned on using the power button on the TV itself (bottom of right edge of TV) – the remote works normally otherwise but, again, the TV can be controlled using the controls at the bottom of right edge of TV. • Mobile phone coverage is patchy – the best way to get and send texts is to leave your phone on the front window sills. For a phone call you or going online you will need to go out to the grass strip across the road at the front. • A Dyson vacuum cleaner is stored in the cupboard in the back bedroom. • Most of our family and friends bring their own bedding and towels so that they do not have the ‘last day’ chore of laundering to add to a list that already includes packing, tidying, vacuuming and cleaning. But we understand that some have travelled far and must use the bedding and towels that are in the flat – you’re welcome to do this but please ensure that you allow sufficient time to wash and hang (bearing in mind the washing machine is not huge). Alternatively, there is a Laundromat that will do service washes in Rothesay – again please ensure you have time to drop off and pick up your washing.

Important: before you leave please remember to… ✓ unplug the TV and switch off all wall heaters; ✓ empty the fridge (but leave the fridge plugged in and on); ✓ as a condition of our buildings insurance: if the date is between 1st November and 31st March you must turn the water off at the stop valve – it is in the cupboard in the back bedroom – then, to empty the pipes, turn both cold taps on slightly and flush the toilet; ✓ leave the flat clean and tidy; and, ✓ put the Yale key back in the ‘Keysafe’ box in the coal cupboard.

If you have any problems, please text or call:

Alan Kerr 07917 868153 or Colin Gray 07906 222936

The Flat

Looking east – Rockvale on your right

The view from Rockvale

A great all round view and first impression of the island can be seen by climbing the Suidhe hill just behind the house – go up to the end of the washing green at the upper back garden slightly to the right, through the trees there (quarry to the right) and keep heading upwards with the wall/fence always to your right – it is pretty steep but worth the effort on a good day.

The kitchen at Rockvale

The small front bedroom

The large back bedroom

The small back bedroom

The living room

Bute walks and places of interest. SCALPSIE SEALS A 10-minute drive from Kilchattan and can be combined with an onward day out to Straad and Ettrick Bay (see below) as it’s on the same road. Drive out of the village to the crossroad at the Kingarth Inn (good food by the way) and take a left. After about 5/10 mins driving at first signpost left (to Scalpsie) turn left and after a minute or so, just beyond a wee cottage, you’ll see a parking bay to the left. Park up and walk towards the beach with the view of Arran directly ahead. On the beach, go over to the right to where the rocks are in the shallows and the seals are often to be seen there. LOW TIDE ONLY…so check the tide times first, or maybe get an impression from the water in front of the house.

The walk down to the beach

Seals at Scalpsie Beach (Winter – hope the weather’s better than this for you!)

View of Scalpsie Beach from the road above

Scalpsie Beach

SCOULAG MOOR A great place to see buzzards and, sometimes, deer. Drive to the crossroad at the Kingarth Inn and take a right. After about 3/5 mins, park on the left at the war memorial. Take the path through the gate and walk past the wee reservoir in the woods on the right until you get to a crossroad at the brow of a low hill. Take a left and continue right on until you see a seat and there are views there down to Scalpsie Bay and over to Arran. Back the same way.

Scoulag Moor Viewpoint

THE DRUID STONES Take the signposted path at the end of the village on the left and go through the woods. Walk through the woods away from the back of the village, turn right onto the road and then right again towards Black Park.

The Druid Stones

WALK TO LIGHTHOUSE AND DUNAGOIL – BACK OVER SUIDHE HILL Take a right out of the house and go right out of the village along the coast an hour or so till you get to the lighthouse. Take a rise in a path up the hill at the far end of the bay and go up following the path above the coast with Arran in front, after about 15 mins at the brow of a hill there’s a path down to a wee loch on your right. Follow the path down from there and around the left side of the loch and pass Plan Farm (white building – 5/10 mins ahead) with the Plan Hill rising over to your left. When you get to the road (dead end) you can either go up to the signposted St Blane’s Chapel which is a lovely spot or down along the coast (left track) towards the iron age fort and Dunagoil beach past a ruined boat house. You can either go up to the right from there and walk the road home or go up beyond the chapel and skirt the Suidhe Hill on its right side and back down into the garden of the house. For the road home route… once you have passed Largizean Farm and reach the woods you should take a right at a gap in the woods and this path leads as a shortcut back to the village. If you want to pass the pub for lunch, then stay on the road and take the right at the junction with the main road and you’ll see the Kingarth Hotel & Smiddy Bar ahead.

View of Glencallum Bay and the lighthouse (looking from the path as you leave to go on to the loch, Dunagoil and St. Blanes)

Small Loch seen from the path

View towards the road and Arran from St Blane’s Chapel

View of Dunagoil Bay and the Iron Age fort from the road

View towards Arran from the road heading back to the village

STRAVANAN FROM KILCHATTAN (1 hour each way) Take the signposted path at the end of the village on the left and go through the woods. At the end of the woods, cross the road and continue straight across the fields to the West Side of the island. Bear right over the golf course or down on the coast and the beach is about 5/10 mins walk ahead of you. You could walk back along the road passing the Kingarth Hotel & Smiddy Bar for lunch by taking the track from the beach up to Langalbuinoch Farm and taking a right along the main road.

Stravanan Bay

MOUNT STUART HOUSE Mount Stuart House is also worth a visit – drive out of the village and it’s a right turn at the Kingarth Hotel & Smiddy Bar towards Rothesay and look out for a signpost to turn right into the house and grounds.

Mount Stuart House

STRAAD/ST NINIANS AND ETTRICK BAY Drive as for Scalpsie Bay and continue past Scalpsie (10 mins) until you get to a crossroad – take left for Straad/Ettrick Bay. Continue on until there’s a sharp right at an old schoolhouse (now a house) and take a road there straight ahead i.e. don’t go right. Drive through the village and park up close to the beach. There’s a nice 20 min walk from there to the two wee houses at the far end of the beach. These houses stand on what becomes an island at high tide so this can only be done when the tide is low (ish). For Ettrick Bay go back to the old schoolhouse and continue on the same road (left) after a few mins you will see the beach in front of you, but you have to drive beyond it and skirt back at the first junction (go left). Park up at the café on the beach (which looks pretty ordinary, but it’s cakes are great!)

Straad Village

Ettrick Bay

Places to eat • Kingarth Hotel & Smiddy Bar (nearest) • The Port, Port Bannatyne (just beyond Rothesay)

Pubs • Kingarth Hotel & Smiddy Bar (nearest) • The Port, Port Bannatyne (just beyond Rothesay); cosy old fashioned, down to earth • The Golfers, Rothesay • The Taverna, Rothesay

Entertainment • Isle of Bute Discovery Centre https://www.visitbute.com/the-winter-garden-discovery-centre/ • Isle of Bute Discovery Centre Cinema WHAT’S ON http://discoverycentrecinema.blogspot.com/

(a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/)