West Island Way

West Island Way
West Island Way
	The West Island Way near Kilchattan Bay.
Length	48 km (30 mi)
Location	Isle of Bute, Scotland
Established	2000
Designation	Scotland's Great Trails
Trailheads	Kilchattan Bay (55°45′04″N 5°01′26″W / 55.751°N 5.024°W); Port Bannatyne (55°51′36″N 5°04′55″W / 55.860°N 5.082°W)
Use	Walking
Elevation gain/loss	690 metres (2,260 ft) gain
Lowest point	Sea level
Waymark	Yes
Website	http://www.westislandway.co.uk/

The West Island Way is a waymarked long distance footpath on the Isle of Bute. The route opened in September 2000 as part of Bute's millennium celebrations, and was the first waymarked long distance route on a Scottish island.^[2] As of 2018 it was estimated that between six and seven thousand people were using the trail each year.^[3] The route is designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot.^[1]

Description

It is a fairly easy walk of approximately 48 kilometres (30 mi), passing through seashore, moorland, farmland and forest.^[4] The route begins at Kilchattan Bay in the south of the island, and finishes at Port Bannatyne in the north, with Rothesay, the main town on Bute, as a central point. The hike can be completed over two fairly lengthy walking days, or four shorter days. The official map and guide of the route is available from the Bute Discovery Centre in Rothesay.^[2]

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b ^c "Trails". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^ ^a ^b "The West Island Way". Bute Conservation Trust. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^ "Scotland's networks of paths and trails: key research findings" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. August 2018. p. 6. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
^ "West Island Way". Scotland's Great Trails. Retrieved 27 September 2018.