Back from Scotland : Rothesay

Although the main purpose of our stay in Scotland was to get in touch with friends and family, which we did successfully, we managed to do some sightseeing. Nothing extravagant, we just sailed across to Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, a mere 35 minute crossing on a very fast ferry (13 £ return). But it still felt like an escape from the modern world.



The weather in the west of Scotland was brilliant last week, windy but sunny, with a very pleasant 20° C. You couldn't get much sunnier than that :

Once in Rothesay, after the requisite 99c ice cream, we visited Rothesay castle, a XIIIth century building, now in ruins, that used to belong to the Stuarts.



It's very well maintained and very atmospheric at the same time. Somehow my son convinced himself that the gorilla from the Tintin album The Black Island (see here for more details) lived in the castle. He wouldn't go up these stairs (he's 3 and a half, mind you) :

Although I didn't go this time, Mount Stuart house on the Isle of Bute is worth a visit as well. It's elegantly restored with nice interiors and equally beautiful gardens.

Some more pictures from that day :

The picturesque station at Wemyss Bay, the gateway to Bute (45 minute drive from Glasgow, by the way) .



I like the look of the Caledonian MacBrayne ferries.



Birds frolicking on the lawn outside Rothesay castle.

On the way back, the weather was a bit cloudier (this is Scotland after all).

As seen inside the ferry. Quite right, too.

Pour résumer, la traversée vers l'île de Bute à bord d'un ferry de la compagnie Caledonian MacBrayne est une bonne façon d'échapper au stress du monde moderne. A Rothesay, la ville principale, on peut visiter le château des Stuarts, l'ancienne famille régnante écossaise. Bien qu'en ruines, le lieu a gardé du caractère, et continue d'être restauré avec soin (pots de fleurs, bancs, gazon manucuré compris, comme dans un jardin public !). A voir aussi, la superbe propriété de Mount Stuart à quelques kilomètres de Rothesay.

Le temps en Ecosse était très agréable la semaine dernière, avec du vent mais aussi du soleil ce qui permettait de rester en T-shirt malgré les 20°, comme un Ecossais aguerri. Pour les détails pratiques : la traversée vers Bute se fait à Wemyss Bay, à environ 45 minutes en voiture de Glasgow (on peut aussi venir en train) et coûte 13 livres aller retour.

To be continued...