How to get to St Blanes House

St Blane’s House is nestled on the Isle of Bute, located near the city of Glasgow.

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN FROM GLASGOW:

There is a direct train service from Glasgow Central Station to Wemyss Bay. The journey is approx 50 minutes and the train will arrive directly into the ferry terminal.

If you decide to visit Glasgow from the Isle of Bute while on holiday, you can buy a cheaper ticket if you buy your passenger ferry and train ticket combined from the ferry terminal in Rothesay. 'Rail and Sail' approx £15 return (Adult) Rothesay to Glasgow.

Glasgow is well worth a visit, the architecture is beautiful, the shopping is good and it is a very friendly city. There is a Left Luggage facility at the train station. We would recommend the open top, red, double decker sightseeing buses tours from St George's Square.

DIRECTIONS FROM GLASGOW AIRPORT

Most of the major car hire companies in Scotland operate from Glasgow Airport, thus, car hire is available from the airport and is approx 40 minute drive to the ferry terminal.

Alternatively, there are regular shuttle buses to Paisley train station from the airport. From Paisley Gilmour Street Station, one can catch a direct train to Wemyss Bay (The ferry terminal is located in the train station). The train times are linked to coincide with the ferry times.

A taxi from the airport to the ferry is approx £50.

An alternative transport option is a personal pick up by https://scottishterriertours.co.uk/ He has various sized transport for 2x 8x or 16x. He will pick you up at the airport, talk about the sights on the way and bring you over on the ferry and to the door of St Blane's House. Not expensive if there is a group of you. (He also offers specialised tours of Scotland, see website). Good fun and a very Scottish start to your holiday.

Isle of Bute ferry

The Isle of Bute can only be reached by ferry. There are two car ferries to the island. A small one at Colintraive at the north of the island and one on the east coast of the island, into the island's main town of Rothesay. This is the main one and can be caught from Wemyss Bay. You can not book in advance.

Make your way to the ferry terminal in Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, Scotland, on the coast, to the west of Glasgow. The ferry terminal is to the left of the train station in Wemyss Bay, on the main road and easy to find. Join the queue in the tarmac parking area, the cars queue from line 3 onwards. Disabled, or anyone who will find the steep stairs up to the lounge area on the ferry difficult should park in line 1 or 2 and the staff will position the car close to the lift on the ferry. The ferry is very easy to use and the staff are very helpful. Just drive on, park behind the car in front of you, when you arrive they open the opposite doors and you just drive off, very easy, no difficult car manoeuvres required.

If you turn up with only a few minutes to spare, the ferry may wait if they are not too busy while you go and get a ticket....so run quickly to the portacabin! Cars are loaded onto the ferry 10 minutes before departure time. Crossing time is 35 minutes.The ferry runs approx every hour. Journey time to St Blane's House is approx 20 minute from the Rothesay ferry terminal.The ferry is very busy in the summer and you may have to wait a while for the next ferry.

Tickets must be bought before boarding the ferry. There are two ticket offices. A portacabin near the car park or a ticket office inside the train station, at the end of the undercover pier. If you have time, use this one because the station/ferry is a grade 'A' listed station and well worth taking a look at if you have the time.

There are toilets in the station and also a little cafe, and a bar. Refreshments can also be found across the road at the Seaview Cafe which is very nice but may take longer to be served. There is also a fish and chip shop across the road from the ferry ( cash only!). Onboard the ferry there are toilets, snacks and drinks available. Just before the ferry there is a small roadside Co-Op.

The ferry timetable and prices can be found at. www.calmac.co.uk select 'Bute'. tel; 08000 665 000 or 01475 650 100.

Times do vary slightly but as a general rule they run once an hour from 7.15 am to 8 pm. The ferry takes 35 minutes to cross. £6.70 return ticket per passenger, £24.10 return per car.

If you need to contact the ferry when you are on the island the Rothesay ferry terminal number is 01700 502707(then select option 2)

DIRECTIONS TO ST BLANE'S HOUSE FROM THE FERRY

Travelling by car:

leave the ferry and turn left at the traffic lights. Follow the coast road for approx six miles. At a tiny hamlet of Tudor houses called Kerrycroy the road leaves the coast and swings inland. Continue on the same road, it goes past the entrance to Mount Stuart House. Follow the road through a wooded area, don't turn left at the junction, don't turn off the road until you see a junction with the Kingarth Hotel on the corner. Turn left here towards Kilchattan Bay and the sea for 1 mile, ( not sharp left up the small road to the farms).

In Kilchattan Bay, St Blane's House is the only large white house and is easy to find, it is just after the old pier in the centre of the village. Plenty of parking in front of the house.

Travel via bus:

A bus service always links with the ferry. Buses run regularly to Kilchattan Bay. They are timed to meet every ferry and the bus stop is on the main road just outside the ferry terminal.

Stay on the same side of the road as the ferry terminal. There is a bus stop opposite St Blane's House, the drivers are very helpful and will tell you when you are there. Approx £5.50 a return ticket.

Travel via Taxi:

Isle of Bute Taxi. 01700 504499. There is always a Taxis in the rank, on the main road just outside the ferry terminal. Approx £23 to St Blane's House.

Occasionally, in extremely bad weather, the ferry sometimes docks at Gourock instead of Wemyss Bay because it is an easier pier to dock alongside. This ferry is an 60 minute journey.

To reach Gourock (15mins away) from Wemyss Bay, travel back up the A78 towards Greenock but then turn left at the first roundabout, simply follow the coast road through Gourock. Go past the train station and after another half mile there is a small turning on the left into Tarbet Street by the Blue Bird cafe. Follow this small road and it will bring you behind the Gourock Train Station. Someone will tell you where to wait for the ferry, whilst you wait will need to buy a ticket before boarding. (Usually from a portacabin). Please be aware the satnav may direct you on another route to Gourock but it isn't quicker so we don’t advise following this route.

Western Ferries

If you would like a more scenic journey to St Blane's House and have time, take the ‘Western Ferries’ option. (They run even in bad weather because they are in a more secluded spot and have later sailings but don’t run direct to the island), They run from Gourock to Dunoon, then there is a drive of approx 1 hour to the Colintraive north ferry to the Isle of Bute. This little ferry is at the top end of the Isle of Bute and rarely goes off because it is such a short distance and in protected waters. A beautiful route, through stunning,rural, unspoilt countryside, if you have the time.

This may sound strange but buy your tickets from the CO-OP in Wemyss Bay or The CO-OP, 21 Eldon St Greenock, PA16 7UG. They are half the price to use the ticket agents rather than on the boat.