Scotland By Rail - Wemyss Bay station and the ferry to Rothesay, Isle of Bute

Previous blog post - Port Glasgow, on route to Wemyss Bay

Next blog post - a 6km circular walk from Rothesay.

This blog post - Wemyss Bay and ferry to Bute

What a station.

I've been visiting recently in preparation for a set of commissions I am soon to undertake for the Friends of Wemyss Bay Station who have their bookshop and gallery in this part of the main station concourse:

And here is the inside of the bookshop and gallery space. Full of interest, history, books, cards, gifts to buy:

Mostly Wemyss Bay station is a place you travel to to:

- see the station, bookshop, cafe...

- travel onwards to the isle of Bute

Even while you're still in the station you hear and see the sea. Walking down the (stunning) covered ramp between station concourse and ferry ticket office I could hear and smell seabirds, wonderful. From the windows shags and gulls and other seabirds were visible:

pair of shags

same spot, zoomed out

Now on the ferry, about to depart:

The end of the ferry opens to allow cars in and out. I had to video it for our son:

On MV Argyll soon after departing Wemyss Bay.
Isle of Bute & Rothesay town ahead & MV Bute just visible forwards left.

The journey to Rothesay on Bute takes only about 35 minutes and ferries depart hourly from both Rothesay and Wemyss Bay, run by Calmac. There are two ferries, MV Argyll and MV Bute. They pass each other half way across.

MV Bute passes MV Argyll (which I was on), Bute heading for Wemyss Bay, Argyll for Rothesay

Toward Toward Lighthouse (yes, that's correct) on the Cowal peninsula

Bute already

looking north-north-west towards Loch Striven, Kyles of Bute...

now sadly derelict bath house

Note the Winter Gardens (sage green with terracotta roof).
Now Isle of Bute Discovery Centre (ie Tourist Info +)

Rothesay with mountains of Arran behind

And don't forget the Black guillemots:

Rothesay Ferry Terminal

marina

Rothesay Ferry Terminal + ferry.

Next blog post - a 6km circular walk from Rothesay.

Previous blog post - Port Glasgow, on route to Wemyss Bay

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Getting to Wemyss Bay:

Trains from Glasgow Central station are hourly and the journey takes about 50 minutes.

Check ScotRail 'Buy Tickets' in advance of your journey - www.scotrail.co.uk

Ferry Wemyss Bay to Rothesay:

The journey takes only about 35 minutes and ferries depart hourly from both Rothesay and Wemyss Bay

Check Calmac timetable and website - www.calmac.co.uk/article/7826/Bute-Wemyss-Bay---Rothesay

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