Coast, sea Highlands & Islands –
Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland

Isle of Bute

1 day

This is a private & personalised tour for a group of up to 8 & AVAILABLE on any green* calendar day --- FREE 1 DAY TOURS 35 MILES PICK UP ZONE includes Edinburgh, Greater Glasgow, Perth & much of the Scottish Central Belt within 35 miles of our Alloa home base in the heart of the Scottish Central Belt between Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Loch Lomond & Trossachs nationalpark & the Fife Coast --- FREE ALONG THE WAY PICK UP LOCATIONS free (excess mileage does not apply) pick ups from anywhere along the route from our Alloa homebase towards your tour destination we pass along = Free additional pick ups for this private tour also in North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire & Inverclyde area --- EXCESS MILEAGE PAYABLE PICK UPS the additional pick up mileage supplement applies outwith & beyond the 35 miles free pick up zone more than 35 miles from our Alloa home base --- UNAVAILABLE on red & blue calendar days & during green* "Island based tour days", when our tours start from & finish at our temporary Scottish Islands & regions base further away instead

1D#15

Tour summary & highlights

 


Sample recent 1 day private & personalised Isle of Bute itinerary

The Isle of Bute / Firth of Clyde – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland

Isle of Bute tour from Stirling

• Leave Stirling
• Drive through Glasgow
• Photostop outside the Kelvingrove museum & art gallery with Glasgow University (in the snow) as the backdrop
• Heavy snowfall on higher grounds above Clydebank
• Crossing the River Clyde on the Erskine bridge
• Driving along the Firth of Clyde with its industrial ports and historic shipyards
• Stopping at the Gourock ferry terminal
• Scenic coastal drive, incl. the Inverkip marina
• Coffee break at the Wemyss bay railway station/ferry terminal

• Ferry to the Isle of Bute

• Arrive into Rothesay

• Coastal drive past the Victorian houses and the Ascog gardens & fernery

• Drive on the Mount Stuart estate (the actual “inner” Mount Stuart building and gardens were still closed due to the winter season)

Mount Stuart / Isle of Bute – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland

• Highland cows photostop
• Kilchattan bay / West Island Way stop
• Standing stone circle stop in the howling winds
• Views over to the natural fort Dunagoil near St. Blane’s chapel and across to the Isle of Arran and Goatfell mountain
• Scalpsie bay walk
• St. Ninian’s bay walk
• Ettrick bay restaurant stop for some / coastal scenic drive along the Kyle of Bute for others

• Rothesay for some late lunch free and free time

Rothesay castle / Isle of Bute – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland

Ardencraig gardens / Rothesay / Isle of Bute – Coast, sea Highlands & Islands – Unicorn Tours throughout Scotland

• Coastal drive to the ferry to Cowal

• Cowal country coastal route

• Spectacular hilltop viewtop down across the Isle of and the Kyle of Bute
• Scenic (and snowy) drive on the Cowal peninsula
• Drive along the seafjord/sealoch of Loch Fyne – up to Rest and be thankful – down along Loch Long and below the Arrochar Alps up to Loch Lomond
• Luss cemetery with the Viking hogback stone
• Walk along the bonnie banks, the pier and beach of Loch Lomond on Luss
• Drive past the Highland Games ground and beautiful houses and gardens
• Stop at Portnellan farm at the southern banks of Loch Lomond with the clouds lifting above Ben Lomond, Scotland’s southernmost Munro
• Drive back to Stirling with views of the snowy hills in the Campsies and the mountains in the Trossachs nationalpark

Tour itinerary
Private tour price for the 8 passenger seater mini-bus & driver/tourguide, i.e. the tour price for a private group of min. 1 and max 8 passengers

1 day tour price (private & small group tours of Scotland)


Personalised & private small group tours all over Scotland (100+ itineraries: ½ – 7 day tour options & discounted multi-day tours to choose from) – with a set daily tour price for our tour guide driver & 8 passenger seater mini-bus (due to the fixed same overall cost for up to 8 passengers, the cheapest per person price for a private small group tour is if 8, 7, 6 or 5 are travelling together to share the set fixed daily cost, which is the same total cost, no matter if there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 passengers on a private mini-bus tour)

All of these private & personalised, small group tours of Scotland

are available on any available green calendar days for private tours

5, 6, 7 days 4 days 3 days
2 days Scottish destinations/Tour extensions & add ons 1 day
Activities, special interests & tour themes Walking tours ½ & short day tours

 

 

 

 

 

  • Choose any private & personalised tailormade 1/2 day tour on any available green calendar day.
  • Choose any private & personalised tailormade 1 day tour on any available green calendar day.
  • Choose any private & personalised tailormade 2 day tour on any 2 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 2 day tours will already show a 2.5% discount.
  • Choose any private & personalised tailormade 3 day tour on any 3 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 3 day tours will already show a 5% discount.
  • Choose any private & personalised tailormade 4 day tour on any 4 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 4 day tours will already include a 7.5% discount.
  • Choose any private personalised & tailormade 5 day tour on any 5 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 5 day tours will already include a 10% discount.
  • Choose any private personalised & tailormade 6 day tour on any 6 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 6 day tours is discounted by 12.5%.
  • Choose any private personalised & tailormade 7 day tour on any 7 consecutive available green calendar days. Any private 7 day tour prices already show the 15% discount. 

Additionally from September to May there is a 12.5% student discount, which also applies to seniors over 65 and to children up to 17 travelling as part of a family group.

 

 

Extra costs & ferry info (if applicable)
Tour links
Tour options

 


Information about private tours in general


Private & personalised tailormade tours to suit your group’s preferences

This is your very own private tour for you and your friends and family members of up to 8 people travelling on this tour together.

Before any private tour, we always check for your must-see stops, interests, hobbies, activities, preferences, priorities and any special requests you might have and we ask you about your preferred pace of travel so to tailor make and personalise the tour to suit your needs.

The route, the stops and the itinerary we give on our website for any private tour are for information and guidance only, as in the end it is you, who decides, what you wish to do, where you wish to stop and what you wish to do and see.

Any private tour itinerary can be shortened, extended or amended, if you wish to do so.


Flexibility on private tours

We also like to keep things flexible as our experience is that there are places, once you arrive and see them, you just fall in love with and wish to spend more time and longer.

whereas some other times we arrive at a place and they are different from what you had expected and you are ok to have a shorter stop and to move on quicker.

Flexibility is also good as on a beautiful gorgeous blue sunny day when all colours in nature and the landscapes are sparkling and you have clear and amazing far distant visibility and the scenery and places are at their best, you probably prefer to spend more time outdoors, while on a stormy, wet, dark, grey and cold day, you are likely to prefer more indoor venues during your stops.


Travelling at your own pace on private tours

Some guests are on a whirlwind tour with little time and wish to pack as much into a short time as possible and are ok with just short photo stops,

whereas other tour guests prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace to be able to explore and discover and soak it all in and leaving the tour with a memorable and lasting experience.

All of this is possible within the constraints of your chosen route, the distances involved

and during the winter season the shorter daylight hours we have.


Lunch breaks on private tours

Some guests put a lot of emphasis on a good quality lunch in a good atmospheric restaurant and we can prebook lunch venues,

whereas other guests are ok to just stop at a supermarket for a sandwich to eat on the go

or just need a short lunch stop for some light snack to eat.


Your tour options on any private tour are unlimited and endless

Same place, same route – but one one private tour, the private tour guests would want to visit the castle, while on another tour at the same place, they want a whisky tour instead and yet again same place on the next tour the private tour guests, want to just go for a walk on the beach there, while another time at the same place, they just want to go shopping, visit the museum or stop at the golf course – so same place, but on each private tour at this very same place, we visit different places and the itinerary, stops and experience is different. 

As this is a private & personalised tour to suit your interests, preferences, hobbies and activities, it is up to you and we can either offer our normal tour itinerary for the location with all the many local highlights and sights and be flexible depending on the season, the weather, the time we have and also be fully flexible during the tour (as some places, you will love and stay longer and at other places you come to, you might wish to just take a photo and then leave, so in the end you might on the day of the tour decide to stay longer or shorter at some of the places we visit or you might still decide to add in some additional stops and places you had not thought about before)  and also partially or fully adjust it to suit your interests and preferences or entirely turn it into a specialist interest tour “a whisky tour”, “a castle, cathedral, historic sights tours”, a “walking tour”, a “nature & wildlife tour”, a “golf tour”, an “activity tour”, etc. depending on what you request (also see our full range of  Activities, special interests & tour themes.)

If it says on the tour itinerary, the tour starts in A and ends in Z and on our journey from A to Z we are travelling and can be stopping at B, C, D, E, F…… X & Y,

it might be the same route on every such private tour, but with every private tour group and individuals, it could still be an entirely & very different tour after all,

as there are so many different special interests & tour themes

so that the main focus of some private tour groups could be

  • architecture & charming towns & villages
  • castles, history
  • child-friendly stops
  • churches, abbeys & religious sites
  • dining & and having a great lunch eating out
  • events based, such as visiting the Highland games while on the tour with us
  • family history & genealogy
  • gardens, flowers & parks
  • golf, football or other sports’ venues
  • literature, film or movie fictional based tour, i.e. visiting filming locations of Outlander, Harry Potter, Shetland crime series, Downtown Abbey. etc.
  • nature & wildlife, seabirds, puffins or whale
  • watching
  • the scenery, the coast & beaches
  • snow and wintry landscapes
  • tourist steam train in conjunction with our tour
  • walking
  • waterfalls
  • whisky distilleries, gin and breweries
  • etc.

Pick ups & drop offs anywhere on private tours

As mentioned in the pick up section, on a private tour we can pick up from anywhere and drop off anywhere and offer staggered free pick ups and drop offs, which are dependent on the distance from our Alloa home base near Stirling. Our home base is 30 miles from Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth in the heart of the Scottish Central belt:

  •  for short & half day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 15 miles of our Alloa home base (which includes Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)
  •  for 1 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 35 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth)
  •  for 2, 3 & 4 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 50 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Dundee, St. Andrews & the entire Scottish Central belt)
  • for 5, 6 & 7 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 75 miles of our Alloa home base

Additionally as stated we sometimes offer free pick ups for places on the route to our destination, even though they might exceed the free mileage zone, so for example for a West Coast tour and we need to head westbound anyway for the tour, we could be pick up at locations west free of charge, depending on the exact route and distances involved.

(During a few weeks every year we are also Shetland, Orkney, Hebridean Isles or regionally based

and the free pick ups will then be based from that local area, such as on the Shetland, Orkney or on some of the Hebridean Isles for example.)


Accommodation on multi-day tours is your choice

Some of our guests are budget travellers, whereas others are luxurious travellers, while others chose a mid-range 3* hotel.

We are happy to give you tips, links and info about your accommodation options for the towns and villages we are staying overnight, but in the end it is up to you, where you would like to stay, at which hotel or guesthouse and for which price.

However much or however little you wish to spend for your overnight accommodation is your choice.

On a private tour we will pick you up from any accommodation in the morning and in the evening drop you off at any accommodation of your choice for your overnight tour accommodation and and chosen location.

 

Free time & activities
Tour pick up/start, drop off/end & joining options near to & along our tour route

Pick up & drop off from anywhere in the Scottish Central belt (between Stirling/Perth/St. Andrews/Dundee & the Edinburgh & Greater Glasgow area, incl. Inverclyde & Ayrshire & the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs)


Pick up / drop off points for private small group 1 Day Tours, from anywhere as it is your own private tour:

  • within the Stirling/Uni area
  • within the Forth Valley area
  • from within the Scottish Central belt, Edinburgh & Glasgow included

+

  • from places listed along or nearby the route and the stops of this particular 1 Day Tour
Tour booking

To enquire about this tour or book, please email contact@unicorntours.co.uk


This tour is for a private small group of up to 8 people.

We will personalise & tailor make this flexible tour itinerary to suit your preferences, interests & requirements.

This tour is available on any green calendar day

except during our Scottish Islands based tour days

for a few weeks each year.


Once you wish to book, we send you an invoice with a payment link and also allowing for a UK & international bank transfer.

Once you have paid, we send you your tour confirmation and will mark this day as “red” unavailable/booked out in our tours availability calendar


We can pick up from anywhere, but for a 1 day tour the free pick up zone is within 35 miles of our Alloa home base (which includes does Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and anywhere in between, such Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)

Pick ups & drop offs anywhere on private tours

As mentioned in the pick up section, on a private tour we can pick up from anywhere and drop off anywhere and offer staggered free pick ups and drop offs, which are dependent on the distance from our Alloa home base near Stirling. Our home base is 30 miles from Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth in the heart of the Scottish Central belt:

  •  for short & half day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 15 miles of our Alloa home base (which includes Stirling, Falkirk, Dunfermline & Gleneagles)
  •  for 1 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 35 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Edinburgh, Glasgow & Perth)
  •  for 2, 3 & 4 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 50 miles of our Alloa home base (which additionally includes Dundee, St. Andrews & the entire Scottish Central belt)
  • for 5, 6 & 7 day tours the free pick up/drop off zone is within 75 miles of our Alloa home base

Additionally as stated we sometimes offer free pick ups for places on the route to our destination, even though they might exceed the free mileage zone, so for example for a West Coast tour and we need to head westbound anyway for the tour, we could be pick up at locations west free of charge, depending on the exact route and distances involved.

(During a few weeks every year we are also Shetland, Orkney, Hebridean Isles or regionally based

and the free pick ups will then be based from that local area, such as on the Shetland, Orkney or on some of the Hebridean Isles for example.)

1D#15 – Isle of Bute – 1 day tour

1 day tour

for your private, flexible tailor-made small group

sample itinerary 1D#15

Scenic day tour to the Isle of Bute

Places, we will visit on the Isle of Bute:

(*** sample past itinerary/timings see below***)

  • Kilchattan bay
  • Blane chapel, iron age fort with best views of Arran
  • Scalpsie bay beach and walk to the seal colony
  • Ettrick bay beach
  • Scenic Kyle of Bute
  • Port Bannatyne
  • Rothesay, pier, gardens, towns and castle  (entrance fee applies)

Optional, also subject to opening hours (generally closed throughout the winter low season/advance bookings required):


  • Many different pick & drop off options along the way, incl. from Stirling/Uni

Key point to remember

  • unlike most of our other tours, which you can also book last minute, subject to availability
  • for this tour due to the ferry involved we recommend to book this tour with us at www.unicorntours.co.uk early in advance
  • Sample departure time on our most recent tour, was 07.15 am from Stirling
  • ferry – return fare per person for the ferry was £6.30 in addition to the tour price

Extras to pay on top of the tour price::

* + £6.30 per person for the return ferry to the Isle of Bute,  food, drink, entrance fees (castles, museums, attractions, etc.)


View some of our past tour photos to Bute


 

 


Optional scenic route to the Wemyss bay ferry

1.5  hours journey time, including the scenic coastal Gourock – Lauderston – Inverkip  route

  • Driving on the motorway right through the centre of Glasgow
  • We will be able to see some of the famous landmarks, especially when we cross the Kingston bridge over the River Clyde
  • We pass Glasgow airport on the right and the historic University town of Paisley on the left
  • We finally have the River Clyde on our right and on our opposite side can see Dumbarton rock & castle, capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the ancient Britons, before they were conquered by the Vikings after 900
  • We drive past the former dockyards and the power house of the industrial revolution, James Watt was from Greenock, where from the 1800s up until the 1960ies a large part of British ships were built.
  • Past Greenock & its scenic promenade, one of Scotland’s largest cruiseship ports, the River Clyde widens and we have stunning views across over to Helensburgh, Kilcreggan and the mountains in the Highlands on the Cowal peninsula – we pass Gourock from where regular ferries travel over to Dunoon/Cowal peninsula and Kilcreggan
  • Past Gourouck the views across the Firth of Clyde become more and more spectacular, drive past Lauderston the Kip marina, with its many yachts and great views

 

whereas on the itinerary below, 

we are offering the very best & many places & most stunning itinerary on our way back:

Sample round trip route – out on the Wemyss Bay/Inverclyde to Rothesay/Isle of Bute ferry and return via the Rhubodach/Isle of Bute to Colintraive/Cowal peninsula ferry

*** Sample past itinerary/timings***:

(1) Scenic drive along the coast and Ascog gardens to Kilchattan bay 30 minutes

  • Mount Stuart opens at the end of March to October (reservations required)

(2) Arriving into Kilchattan Bay around 10.10 am

(3) Beach and southern end of the West Island Way, great walking options / leave by 10.30 am

(4) Around the coast by the ancient St. Blane’s church (that is the same saint Dunblane is named after) and Dunagoil Fort you have an absolutely spectacular view south and across to the Isle of Arran and Goatfell its highest 900 m high mountain, optional walk arriving there around 10.45 am / leave by  11.15 am (the alternative is just a photostop from the main road and gain an extra 30 minutes for all else)

(5) Around 11.25 noon we arrive at Scalpsie Bay and

  • The beach
  • The walk to the seals
  • The awesome views over to the Isle of Arran, Goatfell and the scenery all around are our highlight

(6) We should give ourselves 1 hour+ for this, aiming to leave Scalpsie bay around 12.30 noon

(7) It is another 20 minute drive to Ettrick Bay, with the Ettrick bay & beach tea room / for a photostop / leave by 1pm

(8) We head via the stunning coastal route along picturesque Port Bannatyne and would arrive into Rothesay for a late afternoon lunch, around 1.20pm  to include a walk along the pier, the esplanade, the “famous Victorian WC”, the tourist info has a great exhibition, the castle, the historic precinct, the wee shops, soaking up a bit of the atmosphere and leave by 2.40 pm

(9) Scenic drive towards the Kyle of Bute, stunning mountains all around, coastal scenery is awesome, we arrive around 3 pm in Rhubodach for the 3.10 pm ferry

Return journey

(a) Same route as on the outbound journey, so from Rothesay/Bute back to Wemyss/Bay on the mainland.

Depending on the weather and if still have one more Ayrshire/Clyde coast beach or another stop or so after arriving back on the mainland at Wemyss Bay

(b) Alternative return route for a more scenic round tour

*** On the way back we also have another optional alternative return route via the Cowal ferry and via Loch Lomond back to Stirling – we could return the same route via Greenock/Inverclyde/Glasgow but this is Scotland’s largest urban area and on the way back on a Sunday afternoon roads are a busier and our quiet 1.5 hour journey outbound is likely to be closer to 2.5 hours after we arrive back off the ferry in Wemyss Bay on the mainland and stuck in traffic on motorways and on the motorway right through the big city,

(10) 300 m ferry journey – arriving on the dramatic Cowal peninsula at 3.15 pm in Colintraive

(11) Spectacular drive to one  of the most spectacular viewpoints in Scotland overlooking the Isle of Bute, the Kyle of Bute, the mountains and the sea all the way to the horizon above Tighnabruich 3.35 pm to 3.45 pm

(12) Dramatic journey through the Cowal peninsula, up rest and be thankful, the Loch Long seafjord, Arrochar and up to Tarbet/Loch Lomond to Luss – great place to go for a beach/pier/village/church/Viking stone/pilgrimage way – walk / arrive 5 pm – it is starting to get dark – leave 5.30pm

(13) Sunset overlooking Loch Lomond and the islands

(14) If there is still any daylight left, drive via the scenic route via the Campsies and Fintry back to Stirling, but it is dark

Back in Stirling around approx. 7.15 pm – 7.30 pm


Isle of Bute

Rothesay/Isle of Bute – weather forecast