📌 Kerrycroy, Isle of Bute
★★★★★
Mount Stuart is Bute’s most amazing tourist attraction, and unarguably one of Scotland’s most incredible buildings. This Gothic, red sandstone palace towers amongst equally beautiful grounds stretching down to the Firth of Clyde. The estate is so extensive that buses shuttle between the car park and the house – but it’s much more rewarding to walk, taking in the (mostly edible) Kitchen Garden, the Rock Garden with its several water features, and acres of quiet woodland. All this is eclipsed by the house interior though: the attention to detail overseen by the 3rd Marquess of Bute is staggering, with construction spanning 21 years until his death in 1900. Some of the remaining minutiae have been left unfinished, a quirk that makes Mount Stuart even more special. No expense spared though – according to the website, Mount Stuart was the world’s first house to include a heated indoor swimming pool, and Scotland’s first house to be built with electric lights, telephone system… and even a Victorian lift!
🌍 Location
📌 Off the A844 1 mi south of Kerrycroy, Isle of Bute
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 109595
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.791696,-5.018711
🚌 Buses stop either at visitor centre or nearby on A844
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Saturday to Wednesday (?), early April to June; daily, July to August; Saturday to Wednesday, September to 29 October – see official website for occasional exceptions
🎫 £16.50 adult / £9.50 child
