By Emma Crossan

The Isle of Bute has seen many people choosing to move from cities all over the world, in favour of a more quiet, peaceful life.

With supposedly more opportunities and amenities in the city, why are people making the decision to abandon this life for the Isle of Bute?

Stephen Taylor, 35, grew up on the Isle of Bute, moving away at 19 years old. Despite having travelled all over the world, he still visits frequently and speaks very highly of the island.

He said: “I’ve been quite a few places around the world and seen some stunning places. I’ve been to Africa and Asia, places around Europe and I always think, nothing compares like home.

“We’ve got nice lochs, there’s no mountains on the island, but we’ve got really good hills and forests. We’ve got views of the mountains on Arran and you can see mountains that are over in Loch Lomond. There are some stunning views on the island.”

The Isle of Bute has a vast amount of scenery which can attract tourists; Lochs such as Loch Fad and Loch Ascog provide stunning views and walks. The island also has a selection of beaches such as Ettrick Bay, Scalpsie Bay and Kilchattan Bay.

As well as beautiful scenery, mainlanders may also be drawn by the island’s high variety of wildlife.

Stephen said: “Anytime I’m on that ferry, I’ll look for porpoises or baskin sharks. When you’re actively looking for them, you’d be surprised by how often you do see them! I’ve seen them loads of times on the ferry.

“Inland as well; we’ve got at least two species of deer; we’ve got foxes but they’re proper wild foxes – they live in the forest.”

Bute is home to some rare species as well, with many birds of prey being found on the island, such as Ospreys and Golden Eagles.

As well as this, the rare red squirrel has also been found on Bute, with The Bute Red Squirrell Project confirming that they’re numbers have increased over the years.

Stephen said: “We’ve got red squirrels as well which is really good, because the grey squirrel has taken over most of Britain.

“But with Bute being an island; the grey squirrels never managed to come to Bute. The red squirrel’s numbers are actually increasing on the island which is really good to see.”

It’s not just the island’s peaceful atmosphere and stunning scenery that attracts people from the mainland.

Events such as the Bute Highland Games and Butefest have been bringing in tourists from all over the world. The island has also welcomed some big names at these events.

Stephen said: “A few years ago, a young Gerry Cinnamon played at Butefest and look at Gerry Cinnamon now, selling Hamden out. He played on Rothesay not too long ago.

“The Pavilion as well, that’s been shut down for around 10 years now, but it’s re-opening. Before it shut down, Kevin Bridges and Billy Connoly had played in there before.

“So, if they could get it back to having big names like them playing again, that would be great for the island’s community.”

A common misconception about the Isle of Bute is that due to the lack of chain businesses, there are no pubs or restaurants on the island. However, this is far from the case.

Stephen said: “I’ve been asked how people survive there because there’s no McDonalds or Wetherspoons. We’ve not got chain restaurants; it’s all local businesses but we’ve got plenty of them.

“We have an abundance of pubs on the island, so much so that we get people from Glasgow coming to Rothesay for a night out rather than the other way around.”

What separates the Isle of Bute from cities such as Glasgow is the balance between being peaceful and lively. While the island offers exquisite scenery and wildlife, there’s also a surprisingly lively night-life atmosphere.

Stephen said: “The pubs are livelier than you’d expect whether it’s live music on or a DJ on - I’ve been in the pub before and one of the pubs had two Dutch hardstyle DJs on the island, which I think a lot of people from Glasgow would be surprised about. The place was banging. So, there’s a good mix of nature and being able to go for a night out.”

So, what is the reason for people choosing island life over city life? The Isle of Bute offers a unique mix of serenity and a welcoming, lively community atmosphere.

Events on the island are enough to attract tourists, and often – as seen on the Isle of Bute’s community Facebook page – many people visit the island for a holiday; and choose to re-locate permanently.

Insider once named the Isle of Bute the “best place to live in Scotland”; And it’s clear from the influx of people choosing the island over cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh, that this is still the case.

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