Mount Stuart is Britain's most astounding Victorian gothic mansion. Home to the Stuarts of Bute, descendants of the Royal House of Stuart, this magnificent house sits proudly on the Isle of Bute - ancient stronghold of Scottish kings.
The flamboyant house and its 300 acres of gardens reflect the artistic, religious and astrological interests of the 3rd Marquess of Bute. Although still a family home, it provides a spectacular private venue for luxury weddings, exclusive parties and corporate events.
Open daily from 1st May to 30th September
- The House
- 11.00am - 5.00pm Sunday to Friday
10.00am - 2.30pm Saturday only - The Gardens & Visitor Centre
- 10.00am - 6.00pm
-
Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute PA20 9LR Scotland
Tel: 01700 503877 Fax: 01700 505313
Nardini's!
Scotland’s most famous café, restaurant & ice cream parlour has re-opened following a multi £m refurbishment that has seen the landmark art deco building restored to is past glory with a new contemporary feel, together with sumptuous surroundings and fabulous ambience make it the place to visit.
Open 7 days a week, our opening times are:
9am – 10pm - Café
9am -10pm - Retail Ice Cream Parlour & Italian Bakery
12 noon – late - Ristorante Pizzeria
The Ayrshire Coastal Path from Glenapp to Skelmorlie runs 100 miles along one of the finest panoramic coastlines in the British Isles. Crowned with a superb backdrop of the ever-changing profile of the mountains of Arran across the Firth of Clyde, this coastline is steeped in history and teeming with wildlife. The southern end of the Ayrshire Coastal Path now also connects to the Lochryan Coastal Path at Glenapp.
Due to our simple strategy of linking existing natural beaches and walkable shore terrain by means of field-edge paths, wrack roads, existing farm tracks, promenades and old railway track - only short stretches of path have needed to be restored or built.
The Route
From top to bottom over the sea, the total length of the County of Ayrshire is 55 miles, while its curved coastline measures 84 miles (134 km). Fortuitously, the topography of the broad bights of Ayr and Irvine Bays, with their low-lying hinterland, provides an almost uninterrupted beach walk from Largs to Girvan - almost three-quarters of the entire route. However, from Glen App to Girvan, Dunure to Ayr and north of Largs, the going can be rough over hill tracks and rocky shores.
The Ayrshire Coastal Path is essentially a practical ‘route’ rather than a laid-out formal path.
Especially in the south, it is primarily a path suitable only for well-equipped agile walkers, since many stretches along cliff-tops and rough stony beaches are not suitable for cyclists or horses.
South of Glenapp it connects with the Lochryan Coastal Path which takes walkers as far as Stranraer and the Southern Upland Way.
Features on the route
Fantastic Coastal Scenery - ever-changing vistas - especially from South to North.
Wildlife - wild flowers, 135 species of bird listed in the Guide Book , seals, otters, roe deer and foxes.
Peace and Quiet - small fishing villages such as Ballantrae, Maidens and Dunure.
Heritage Sites: Ayrshire has a tremendous range of historical sites, from the fantastic - like Tam o Shanter’s Auld Brig o Doon and ‘Sawney Bean’s Cave’ at Bennane Head; to the factual - such as historic Turnberry, Culzean, Dunure, Greenan, Dundonald, Seagate, Ardrossan, Portencross and Kelburn Castles, many of which are on the route - as are the Maritime Museum in Irvine and Vikingar in Largs.
Others only require a small detour - e.g. the Burns Heritage Centre at Alloway; the Smugglers’ Path from Troon to Dundonald Castle; and Kilwinning Abbey. In Ayr, St John’s Tower, Cromwell’s Fort, Loudoun Hall, Lady Cathcart’s House, the Auld Kirk and the Auld Brig, are all within a few yards of the Tourist Office in Sandgate.
History, Beauty, Mystery, Adventure
The family home of the Earls of Glasgow, Kelburn has long been an inspiration for adults and a paradise for children.
The castle, dating back to the 13th century, still lived in by the present Earl and family, is open to the public in July and August and provides an impressive background to exotic gardens, famous trees and many features of historical interest. The Kelburn Glen with its waterfalls and deep gorges is regarded as one of Scotland's most beautiful woodlands and leads to spectacular views over the islands of the Firth of Clyde.
Waterfront Leisure Centre
A Leisure Complex with a unique combination of ice and water thrills, with everything from a Tropical Wave Pool to an Ice Disco, a Curling Rink and the Longest Tyre Ride in the country.
The whole complex, complete with Fitness Studio, Health Suite, Dance Studio, Bar and Coffee House and even it's very own Aulds Restaurant, has been designed to cater for everyone's idea of fun. And to make sure that as many people as possible can enjoy The Waterfront's unique facilities, we've made it easy to get to. Only thirty minutes away from the middle of Glasgow via the M8 and served by a variety of local buses and coaches. Its also accessible by trains to the nearby mainline station.
We've thought of everything at The Waterfront. All you and the family have to do is turn up and enjoy yourselves.
Waterfront Leisure Complex
Customhouse Way
Greenock
Inverclyde
PA15 1EW
Scotland
Tel:
+01475 797979
Xscape Braehead
Indoor Snow slope, Rock Climbing, Soccer Circus, Cinemas, Bowling, Restaurants and Outdoor Sports Retail Shops
0871 200 3222
Glasgow Science Centre
50 Pacific Quay Glasgow G51 1EA
0871 540 1000
Science Mall, IMAX Cinema and Planetarium
Opening Hours
Summer Opening Hours from 30th March 2009
- Open every day from 10am to 5pm
Winter Opening Hours from 1st November 2009
- Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 3pm
- Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm
Museum of Transport
1 Bunhouse Road
Glasgow,
G3 8DP
Phone: 0141 287 2720
The Museum of Transport in the Kelvin Hall is one of the most popular museums of transport in the British Isles. It attracts half a million visitors a year. It was founded in 1964 and houses many exhibits of national and international importance.
The museum uses its collections of vehicles and models to tell the story of transport by land and sea, with a unique Glasgow flavour. Here you will find the oldest surviving pedal cycle and the finest collection in the world of Scottish-built cars. They include such world-famous makes as Argyll, Arrol Johnson and Albion.
The breadth of the collection is impressive. It features all forms of transport from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines, from motorcycles to caravans. Even toy cars and prams are included.
The Burrell Collection
Pollok Country Park
2060
Pollokshaws Road
Glasgow, G43 1AT
Phone: 0141 287 2550
Sir William Burrell and his wife, Constance, Lady Burrell gifted his collection of over 9,000 works of art to Glasgow in 1944. The city acquired one of the greatest collections created by one person. William Burrell had been an art collector since his teens, and the collection is made up of a vast array of works of all periods and from all over the world.
At the Burrell Collection you can wander round important collections of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English oak furniture. There are many European paintings, including works by Degas and Cézanne, an important collection of Islamic art, and modern sculpture including works by Epstein and Rodin. Children will be fascinated by the works from days of long ago - we have a fine collection of works from ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Architectural features from the collection have been integrated into the structure of the building. You can walk under arches built for medieval lords and ladies. There are also reconstructions of rooms from Sir William’s home, furnished in gothic style with items from the collection.
KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM
Kelvingrove is a very special museum. For generations of people from Glasgow and the surrounding neighbourhoods, it has a deep, personal significance linked with every stage of their lives. Visits to ‘the art galleries’ are highlights of childhood memories; many people did their courting there; parenthood and grandparenthood see the cycle begin again.
Visitors develop favourites, which, like old friends, they drop in to see whenever they get a chance. And although everyone thinks their cherished local institution is special, the sense of Kelvingrove’s uniqueness is backed up by facts – it is the largest civic museum and art gallery in the UK, with collections of international importance.
Prior to closure, Kelvingrove’s annual total of one million visits made it in absolute terms the most-visited museum in Scotland, and the sixth most-visited museum in Britain
House for an Art Lover
THE COMPETITION
"...it exhibits an absolutely original character, unlike anything else known..." Hermann Muthesius, Critic 1901
In 1901, Glasgow’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh entered a competition to design a ‘House for an Art Lover’. The competition was set by a German design magazine which sought entries to design ‘a grand house in a thoroughly modern style’, and challenged architects to develop ideas which were fresh and innovative. Mackintosh worked on his submission together with his new wife, Margaret Macdonald, a decorative artist. The result was a portfolio of outstanding designs,which have since been admired by Mackintosh enthusiasts throughout the world.
Whilst the Mackintoshs’ entry was disqualified from the competition on the grounds of late submission, the designs were awarded a special prize for “their pronounced personal quality, their novel and austere form and the uniform configuration of interior and exterior.”
For the first time, Mackintosh and Macdonald were allowed complete freedom of artistic expression, their designs not conforming to client specification and demand.
Hermann Muthesius, architect and critic, writing in the preface to the later published porfolio of competition designs, praised the design of the House: 'it exhibits an absolutely original character, unlike anything else known.'
It is tempting to speculate whether, had Mackintosh submitted his entries to deadline, he would have won this competition.
CREATING THE HOUSE
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's competition entry has been admired by scholars and Mackintosh enthusiasts alike over the last century. The spirit and tenacity of consulting engineer, Graham Roxburgh, led to the idea of building the House in the late eighties. Over one hundred years after the designs were first created, the House now stands completed in Bellahouston Park.
Roxburgh was responsible for the refurbishment of adjacent Craigie Hall which contains original Mackintosh interiors. His dream to build the House for an Art Lover became a reality in 1989 when building work began. However, recession in the early Nineties forced the project to be temporarily halted. Building work resumed in 1994, revived by a collaboration between Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow School of Art. It is a fitting tribute that one of Mackintosh's most impressive and respected commissions, the Glasgow School of Art, is linked to the House for an Art Lover, with its pioneering postgraduate Digital Design Studio, gaining the House a reputation as an international centre of excellence for the visual arts.
Situated within the beautiful landscape of Bellahouston Park, House for an Art Lover today represents one of Glasgow's most popular visitor attractions and provides spectacularly unique private dining facilities.
THE EXHIBITION
Making Mackintosh's concept a reality has provided a challenge and learning process for the many contemporary artists and crafts people who have contributed to the project. As a result, House for an Art Lover represents a unique amalgamation of historic and contemporary craft and design work
