Isle of Bute

The Isle of the Smith

For this article I am returning to one of the Islands of the Firth of Clyde,
however, before I continue, I would like to give some detail on the River Clyde
itself. The name Clyde comes from the Old Irish, Cluad and was later known as
Clota. The meaning of the name is 'the washer' occasionally given as 'the
strongly flowing one'. This is in keeping with the tradition of rivers being
associated with Goddesses. In ancient times rivers where seen as the source of
all life and in the same way as there were Goddesses of sovereignty of the land
who were given offerings in thanks for their bounty, so too were offerings made
to the river Goddesses.
Yet, ancient Goddesses were portrayed as being both the giver and taker of life.
In Celtic times there are tales concerning 'the washer of the ford', an ancient
deity who washed the souls of the dead, preparing them for their next life ahead
by washing away all memory of their past life. Clota, as 'the washer' would also
seem to represent this aspect of the Goddess as well being the giver of life as
'the strongly flowing one'.
It is from these waters that all land emerged, like a child born from the womb,
similar in form but acquiring its own unique characteristics with the passage of
time. It is in the islands, perhaps, that this can be seen most clearly even
amongst those that share similarities in geology and history. For ancient
peoples the characteristics of the land gave indications to the magical
qualities that could be found hidden in the place. This they gave expression to
in their traditions and culture. In remote areas like the islands much of this
cultural heritage remains having survived the ravages of over population and
industrialisation.
The Island of Bute, surrounded in part by the Cowal peninsula may not on the
surface appear to retain much expression of its ancient characteristics but as
with any place a little exploration can bring its rewards. The island is 16
miles long and 4 miles across at its widest point. Rothesay is the main village
where the ferry lands from Wemyss Bay. The village accounts for almost two
thirds of the island's population of around 8,000 which makes it seem more like
a town. During the time of the Clyde steamers, Rothesay was the favoured
destination of the Glasgow townsfolk and people used to arrive in their
thousands. Today there are not so many visitors but Rothesay still has that
'seaside town' atmosphere to it.
The Highland Boundary Line divides the island's rock structure into two. The
area south of Loch Fad (the Long Loch) is made up of red sandstone and basaltic
lava. To the north of this, the area consists of what is known as Dalradian
schistose grit. The island is green and fertile with no great mountainous area
to speak of. Windy Hill is the highest point at 912 ft.
Bute was at one time rich in ancient sites showing that the island has been
inhabited since earliest times. Many of these were destroyed when the land was
required for building on. Of the sites that do remain the oldest is, most
probably, the Mesolithic kitchen midden at Glecknabae on the west side of the
island. A chambered cairn was later built on top of the midden. After the midden
was overgrown with turf it provided an area of elevation which the cairn
builders preferred to build on. The cairn itself is almost circular in shape and

contains two small chambers no larger in size than the earlier cists once used
for burial. Each chamber was formed using four flagstones for the sides and a
larger capstone on top.
An example of the earlier cists I mentioned above can be found at Mountstuart on
the east side of the island, south of Rothesay. This cist was discovered in 1887
when what was thought to be a natural hillock was dug out by workmen. The cist
contained the skeleton of a young woman lying in the foetal position. Buried
with her were beads of jet, a piece of bronze and an urn. When strung together,
the beads of jet formed a perfect necklace, though where this is now kept, I
have no idea.
Numerous tumuli were once to be found all over the island. One example can be
found back over on the west of the island at Scalpsie bay. This tumulus was
opened in 1903 and it covers a circular area around 45 feet across. The mound is
made up mainly of earth mixed with some stones and the cist is placed in the
centre. A large capstone covers the cist which is under 3 feet in size. Inside
the cist was found a single jet bead, a bronze pin and a flint scraper.
Scalpsie Bay appears to have been a favoured site on the island. Not far from
the tumulus is a bronze age chambered cairn containing 3 cists which have been
excavated. One of the cists contained the body of another young woman. Dun
Scalpsie is also not far away although it is in pretty poor condition. The Dun
sits on a small knoll about 50ft above the shore and covers an area up to 90
feet across. The entrance was in the north west and the remains of the walls
show them to have varied between 9 and 15 feet in thickness. A single standing
stone is said to be at Scalpsie Bay although I have been unable to locate this.
Farther south on the east side of the island at Kingarth are the remains of a
stone circle. The circle was once made up of 5 stones of which only 3 remain.
The largest of the remaining stones is over 9 feet high but it has been cleft in
two. Another of the stones has the appearance of cross being narrow at the base
and expanding into the shape of a disc near the top. This stone stands about 7
feet high. It is said in the records of the island that, half a mile away from
Kingarth, there are another 3 standing stones set in a straight line. They were
said to be small in size and made from local stone. An old map from 1896 also
show that another 2 tumuli were situated up from the shore on the north side of
Kilchattan Bay.
The best preserved stone circle is at St. Colmac's at the centre of the island.
This circle is complete and consists of 7 stones. One of the stones has been
placed directly behind another and it is considered possible that this stone was
added at a later date. The stones of this circle are not large, some are little
more than a foot above ground. The tallest is about 7 feet high. On the moor,
near the head of St. Colmac's burn, can be found Dun Burgidale. This dun is
about 67 feet in diameter with walls 10 to 14 feet thick. The south east
entrance was opened in the 19th Century but I have no details of anything being
found. A gallery once existed in the western quarter of the dun.
As the name St. Colmac suggests, this area, along with others on the island have
associations with the early Celtic Church. Bute was once a part of the ancient
kingdom of Dalriada. Originally it was considered to be a part of the territory
of the Cenel nGabhrain. However, at a later date when the Cenel Comhgail was
formed as a sept of the Cenel nGabhrain it is uncertain whether Bute became a
part of the new tribe's territory along with Cowal or remained a part of the

territory belong to the head branch, Cenel nGabhrain. Either way, it was due to
the fact the island was a part of Dalriada territory that the remains of
numerous early Churches are to be found here.
When the young Irish monks came out of Ireland to spread word of a new religion
to the inhabitants of Scotland, they first needed to establish themselves in
areas of Scotland which wouldn't be too hostile to their arrival whilst at the
same time be within easy striking distance of those they wished to convert. Bute
must have appeared an ideal location close to the mainland but still under the
protection of Dalriada. Many of the first monks to come across to Scotland could
also claim kinship with people of Dalriada and as such had the right to be
allocated areas of land within the territory of their kinsfolk.
The monks of the early Church were also sensible enough to realise that it was
much easier to have their new religion accepted if it was seen to be similar to
the old beliefs it was replacing. One of the ways they used to achieve this was
to ensure their new churches were built within the vicinity of earlier ancient
sites. Examples of this can be seen throughout Scotland in particular. Therefore
it is of no surprise to discover that an old chapel once stood not so far away
from the standing stones of St. Colmac. It would be interesting to know what the
original name for the place was prior to the arrival of the chapel.
Although the chapel is gone there remains the cross of Kilmachalmaig which is
dated as being from the 10th Century and considered to be an early preaching
cross. Exact details of the Saint himself are difficult to come by for within
the records there are over 200 saints who bore that name. Another point worth
noting is that Colman is a diminutive form of the Latin, 'columba' which means
'dove' and not a native term. General opinion is that Kilmachalmaig commemorates
Colman of Druim Mor in Ulster whose day is said to be June 7th. The Ulster
association would certainly make it possible for him to have kinsfolk within
Dalriada.
One Saint who is recorded as being from the Dalriads of Ulster is St. Blane. His
chapel is to be found at the southern tip of Bute situated on top of St. Blane's
Hill which rises 403 feet from the shore. A path from the road end leads you to
the chapel site. The saint is said to have existed in the 7th Century and the
chapel here dates from the 12th Century. The chapel however, has been built
among the ruins of an earlier 6th Century monastery which is said to have been
founded by St. Catan who named it after his nephew, St. Blane. The site is
situated in a lovely wooded glade. An old well is nearby and the remains of a
circular enclosure which is considered to have been used for meditation. The
cemetery contains a number of interesting stones, some no more than 2 or 3 feet
in height and roughly shaped into the form of a cross. Also nearby by stands the
vitrified Iron Age fort, Dunagoil. Artefacts discovered here include an iron
brooch of La Tene design and evidence of the industrial use of iron and bronze.
Returning once again to the west side of the island we come to the lovely sandy
beach of St. Ninian's bay and the ruined chapel dedicated to the saint at St.
Ninian's Point. St. Ninian has produced some interesting debates for unlike the
other saints mentioned, Ninian was a Briton not a Gael and many records claim
that he was the first to bring the new religion to the lowlands of Scotland
before Columba ever arrived. Most people seem happy to say that St. Ninian
converted the lowlands and St. Columba the Highlands. Another difficulty in
putting a date to the chapel is that there was a revival of a Ninian cult in the
12th Century and the chapel could have been given its present name during that
time. The design of the chapel itself conforms to those built in Ulster around

the early 7th Century. Two stones from this later period can also be found at
the extremity of St. Ninian's Bay.
Just off the shore from St. Ninian's Point can be seen the small island
ofInchmarnock which commemorates the name of yet another saint, St. Mernoc who
founded a monastery on the small island in the 7th Century. He also gave his
name to the mainland town of Kilmarnock Remains of the monastery can still be
seen. Also on the island is a Bronze Age cairn which contains 3 burial cists.
When excavated the skeleton of a young woman was found in one of the cists. The
island now has two farms on it and is a haven for birds.
The north west area of Bute is uninhabited, no roads pass through it leaving it
a haven for all wildlife. One interesting site can be seen in this area if you
happen to be able to sail around the island. Whilst sailing up the Kyles of Bute
you can see on this north western shore of the island two large rocks which have
been painted to emphasise how much they resemble old women. No one is certain
how they first came to be painted but story has it that it was our old friend
Para Handy in his early days who was responsible! Apparently, in one of his
tales, he explains that when they were taking passengers past this point in the
old puffers noone would agree that the rocks looked like women. To show that he
was right he went ashore one time and painted the rocks to emphasise their
shape. Whether this is true or not, the rocks are always kept freshly painted.
Not far from where the road runs out on the western side at Kilmichael can be
found Glenroidean Cairn on the hillside. This cairn was excavated between 1963
and 1971 and has shown that it has been used by various peoples over a period of
time rather than being specific to one point in time. Findings from this cairn,
such as flintwork and pottery are now kept at the museum in Rothesay. Also in
this area are the ruins of yet another chapel, this time dedicated to St.
Michael. It was the Norsemen who were responsible for the destruction of this
one.
In fact Bute must have seen a great deal of the battles with the Norsemen around
her shores. The island seemed to be a bridging point of strategic importance.
The island's fertile lands at that time supplied a fair amount of food for
neighbouring Cowal and so in gaining control of the island you also had control
of the surrounding waters and to a certain extent much of the nearby mainland.
Rothesay castle bore the brunt of many of the fights. In 1230 it was besieged by
the Norsemen. Then in 1263 it fell to King Haakon of Norway. During the 5th
Century it was also attacked on several occasions by the Lord of the Isles. The
castle still survives today, complete with moat and is open daily to the public.
Despite the attacks, Norse occupation couldn't have been for long periods in
time for I have come across no evidence of their influence in the likes of the
place names of the island. As to the name of the island itself, I have come
across an interesting translation of the name. Although it doesn't seem to
appear in Irish literature one translation is given as coming from the Old Irish
word 'Bot' meaning fire and that during that time the island would have been
known as Inis Bot meaning Isle of Fire. What is interesting about this is that I
have heard the island called the 'Island of Smiths' in old folklore though
without any reason as to why it would be called so. The relationship of Smiths
and Fire is certainly not an unusual one and it would not surprise me if
somewhere there existed tales confirming this association with the Island.
Certainly on Kintyre we have the stories of Ulad the Wonder Smith who was said
to frequent these waters and you could always tell when he was working in his
smithy for the sparks from his anvil produced the rainbows in the sky.

Copyright: 1994 H. McSkimming

[First published in Dalriada magazine]