Academy Apartments

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Apartment |2 bedrooms |Sleeps 4

Isle of Bute in Central Scotland/Strathclyde

From £195 per week |  From £45 per night

3 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

4 out of 5

1 review | Write a review

Key info  Car not necessary, may take pets - please enquire

About the home

Academy Apartments is situated in a quiet, elevated position in the town of Rothesay, yet still within walking distance of the ferry terminal, town centre and local attractions. Just a few minutes walk down Chapelhill brings you to the impressive Victorian shore promenade that runs the entire length of Rothesay Bay, from Port Bannatyne to Kerrycroy.

The apartment is one of six in a converted former manse building and is very comfortably furnished in a contemporary style. The main living room is bright and spacious, and is open plan with dining area and kitchen. This room offers glorious unrestricted views across Rothesay Bay and beyond to Loch Striven and to the Cowal peninsula and hills. Some guests have described the views as "inspirational" - most settle for "amazing" ! This main room has four tall windows to the front and side, allowing maximum enjoyment of these wonderful sea views. The elevated position and large windows also allow lots of natural light to flood in, and as the room faces east, the sunrises can be spectacular, weather permitting. Remember, in mid summer you need to be up very early! ! The side window allows the room to catch the evening sun from the west, right by the dining area! Enjoy the views at any time of day - over breakfast, sitting at the the dining table at mealtimes, or when simply relaxing in front of the TV in the evening. There can be a different view every time you look out across the bay, depending on the time of day and the weather conditions. Watch the ferries come and go, and in the summer months, the Waverley paddle steamer calls in regularly to drop off and pick up on its summer sails.

The apartment is ideal for friends, couples or families, offering 2 bedrooms, 1 double and 1 twin. Rothesay and the Isle of Bute offer a wide variety of activities and days out for visitors of all ages, including walking, cycling, fishing and golf. The location of the apartment is ideal for anyone looking for a quiet place to relax and chill, but with easy access to all amenities and attractions.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The apartment is on the top floor of a 3 storey building - entrance is at level 2, so there is only one short flight of stairs to the apartment.

The principal open plan living room is spacious (approx 17' x 18') and comfortably furnished, with large flat screen TV with SKY access and DVD player. There's plenty of room for the dining table and chairs in the window corner at the front of the room, overlooking the bay, and you'll find a well stocked bookcase. Please feel free to swap your books here ! This is a light and welcoming space, with superb views from every angle.

The kitchen is compact and very well equipped, including microwave, gas hob, electric oven and small fridge/freezer.

The internal hall leads to two bright, comfortable bedrooms, one double and one twin, and the bathroom has bath with shower over, wash hand basin and WC.

The apartment has a very good selection of board games, CDs and DVDs, but please feel free to bring your own !

INCLUDED (so you don't have to):
Toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, salt, pepper, cooking oil, tea bags, coffee, sugar, kitchen foil and cleaning materials, including washing up liquid, washing machine liquid and hand soap.

We try to be eco friendly, so cleaning materials provided are Ecover or similar where possible, and there is a recycling bag for all paper, cans, bottles and plastic.

Further details outdoors:
Academy Apartments sits within Rothesay's conservation area, so the location is quiet and well kept, yet only minutes from all local amenities. Although a car can be useful, it is certainly not necessary on the island - the local bus service is excellent. Buses for all points around Bute start from Guildford Square in Rothesay, just a 10 minute walk from the apartment. The Skeoch woods are just at the end of road, with excellent walking trails, for dogs and humans alike !.

There is a shared garden and drying area at the rear of the house and there are some folding chairs in the apartment available for use in garden, or for the beach and picnics. You'll find street parking right outside the apartment building. There is also easy access to the West Island Way walking route from directly opposite the building.

Academy Apartments is on a hill so may not be suitable for anyone with mobility difficulties who doesn't have access to a car.

Further details

A deposit of £100 is required to secure your booking and the balance is due 6 weeks before arrival. For bookings within 6 weeks of your arrival date, full payment is required at time of booking. Cancellation made more than 6 weeks of your arrival date will incur a cancellation charge of £100. Cancellation within 4 weeks of arrival date will incur a cancellation charge of 50%. Cancellation within 2 weeks or less of arrival date will incur a cancellation charge of 100%. We recommend that you take out holiday insurance when booking your trip.

Please call or email for short break rates, also further information on long term lets.

Photos

 

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Living room with view to Cowal peninsula

 

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Dining area

 

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Lounge area with view to Craigmore point

 

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Living room rear

The Central Scotland / Strathclyde / Argyll and Bute region

Argyll and Bute is one of Central Scotland's most beautiful areas, offering a very varied landscape of coast, woodlands and hills.

Often referred to as “The Jewel in the Clyde” the Isle of Bute is an area that draws people back year after year. Renowned for its beauty, and offering a variety of coastline, moor and woodland walks, the island has a mild climate due to its location on the Gulf Stream. Palm trees and many other exotic plants flourish thanks to these mild influences, and a wide variety of wildlife can be seen including deer and seals. Bute is steeped in history, with stone circles and chambered cairns, beautifully remote locations of early Christian sites, mediaeval Rothesay Castle, which is the ancestral home of a Royal dynasty and Mount Stuart House, arguably one of the finest examples of Victorian domestic architecture to be found anywhere in the UK.

The island is only 15 miles long and 4 miles across and is one of the most accessible of Scotland 's islands, less than 2 hours from Glasgow, door to door. Bute is also the ideal base to explore mainland Argyll, by simply hopping the 5 minute ferry from the north of the island at Rhubodach over to mainland Argyll at Colintraive, located on the Cowal peninsula. These ferry crossings are very regular and take only 5 minutes. From there, you’re just over an hour away from Inveraray, where you can visit the Old Jail, stroll along the banks of Loch Fyne and enjoy lunch in the award winning George Hotel. And the drive is spectacular !

The Isle of Bute area

The Isle of Bute has some outstanding bays and beaches, the best of these are Ettrick Bay on the west of the island and Kilchattan Bay to the south. Walking on Bute is a joy, because of the varied landscape and the quiet roads and footpaths. The West Island Way was Scotland's first long distance island footpath, developed and opened in 2000 as part of Bute's events to celebrate the millennium. The path is 30 miles of way marked walking which runs in a circular route from south to north and takes in track, moor, forest and coastal walking. Opposite Academy Apartments, a flight of steps takes you up to a high road that will give you direct access to the West Island Way. You can do the route in sections and catch local transport back to Rothesay, or choose to do the whole thing in 2 days with an overnight en route. If you prefer to stay closer to base, there are some lovely marked walks in and around the town itself, for instance up Canada Hill to enjoy the spectacular views from the top! There is an excellent selection of local walking maps and bus timetables in the apartment, along with lots of other local information.

For a more relaxing way to see the island, why not take a tour on the Discovering Bute open top bus. This departs from Rothesay town centre 4 times a day in high season (stops in September) for a round trip of the island. Enjoy lunch in the Ettrick Bay café, with its excellent home baked cakes (try the meringues!), take a long walk across this beautiful beach, then catch the next bus to complete the tour. Your ticket is also valid on local buses for the same 24 hour period. Even in the off season, there is still an excellent local bus service serving the island.

During the summer months, the Waverley Paddle Steamer calls into Rothesay harbour on a regular basis. The Waverley offers a great day out, weather permitting, sailing from Rothesay up the Kyles of Bute to Tighnabruaich, or across to the Isle of Arran or to Loch Fyne.

The island is host to a wide variety of events and festivals, including the annual Jazz Festival, usually held early May, which is now one of the UK's leading jazz festivals and attracts visitors from around the world.

There is an excellent food event held every September which is hosted by Johnny Bute at his family's ancestral home, Mount Stuart House. "eatBute" is a food initiative that was instigated by the Mount Stuart Trust in 2008. The project aims to promote the abundance of good, fresh, local produce available on the Isle of Bute and in the wider Argyll region.

eatBute is promoted throughout the year and a programme of Bute Food and Craft Markets are held at Mount Stuart every few months. The annual celebration will be held at Mount Stuart between 10th and 12th September in 2010. This is a wonderful 2 day event based around good local produce and food and takes place in a magnificent setting. This is a must for foodies !!

How to get there

Academy Apartments What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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The main ferry to Bute runs from Wemys Bay to Rothesay. The service is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, and runs every 45 minutes all year round. The crossing takes 30 minutes. Alternatively take the scenic route through Argyll to Colintraive to hop the ferry to Rhubodach on the north tip of Bute. This is a very frequest service and takes 5 minutes to cross.

The ferry terminal at Wemyss Bay is served by regular connecting train services from Glasgow Central Station and Paisley Gilmour Street (only 2 miles from Glasgow Airport) Check www.calmac.co.uk for all ferry timings and connecting train times.

Car hire is available at both Glasgow and Prestwick Airport. Many budget airlines from around Europe and further afield fly into these airports, including Ryanair and Easyjet.

Glasgow International Airport is only 20 miles away and Prestwick International Airport is 30 miles away.

Activities near Isle of Bute

Reviews

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

16 Jul 2011

“Great holiday, great flat” Beautiful flat. Spectacular views. Great location, Extremely comfortable, a real home from home. Lots of extra touches including board games which were well used. Everything had been thought of.... more

Review: 1 to 1 of 1

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Guestbook for Academy Apartments

An amazing time! I will most definitely be recommending the island to friends.
October 2010

Absolutely beautiful flat - views out of this world. A different outlook at different times of day & night. Felt like we lived here - so at home. Skippers Wood - great for dogs ! Enjoyed seeing Rothesay & the island, could have stayed for longer (We hope to come back!)
October 2010

Thank you for the use of a lovely apartment that has been a retreat for us both - we feel rested and ready to face the world again...
November 2010

Love Rothesay - a very special place. Have stayed in hotels & other self catering, but never again... We will be back to the Isle of Bute soon and will only consider Academy Apartments. Stunning views, high quality furnishings and lots of special touches to make it feel like home.... those views are priceless, took my breath away!
November 2010

Beautiful views. Four nights of total silence was somewhat for disturbing for urbanites, but we soldiered on !!!
To be recommended
New Year 2010/2011

Two months this time and as good as last winter. Great place for a holiday
January/February 2011

Had a great stay here. Views are stunning and apartment was great. Thanks - hopefully we will be back again
April 2011

Had a lovely time over the past 4 days. Don't want to go home ! Really glad we came back. Thanks again.
April 2011

Home from home regarding facilities. Surrounding walks and driving to points of interest worth the effort and time. Locals are very friendly and accommodating. A must has got to be the Bistro (near the Bike Shop) on the sea front. A peaceful, relaxing and romantic place to stay.
April 2011

Having spent summers on Bute as a child in the '80s it's been great to come back. The apartment is fantastic - a real home from home, and the views can only be seen to be believed. A great stay on a wonderful isle. Thanks for making it so enjoyable with such a comfortable place to stay.
May 2011

Had a fantastic week made better by the great weather. Best of all was the flat - it is undoubtedly the nicest accommodation I have stayed in on Bute. Absolutely stunning views and extremely comfortable.
July 2011

Thanks for our stay in your fantastic flat. The views are out of this world and it's like a home from home regarding facilities. We hope to be back next year.
August 2011

Fabulous views - keeps you proud to be a Scot! Even the bad weather looks good from here !
August 2011

Another great week on Bute in this perfect flat. Enjoyed the Highland Games and the weather was perfect ! Thank you
August 2011

Wonderful weekend on Bute made even more remarkable by our stay in this wonderful apartment . We'll certainly be back!
September 2011

Views from the apartment excellent. We have had a lovely relaxed and peaceful weekend - batteries recharged ready to go back home
September 2011

Wow! Thank you so much - just what I needed to recharge my batteries. I'd love to come back again - soon !
September 2011

Have loved staying in this flat - it's perfect! We could sit and look at the view forever. Bute is beautiful, Mount Stuart is spectacular and the chef there is excellent. Worth checking out the seals in Scalpsie. Thank you for such a gorgeous comfortable and well equipped place to stay. We hope to come back to Bute again and if we do we will definitely be staying here.
September 2011

Very comfortable well equipped apartment with wonderful views across the bay. Lovely Island, friendly people. Hope to return
October 2011

Don't bother to look elsewhere. Believe the hype - this is the best holiday let on Bute!
November 2011

Rental prices

Prices for group size 4
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Christmas/New Year	21 Dec 11	5 Jan 12	350£ 350	6565	6565	4 Nights
Low season	5 Jan 12	3 Mar 12	195£ 195	4545	4545	3 Nights
March/April	3 Mar 12	21 Apr 12	250£ 250	5050	5050	3 Nights
Spring/early summer	21 Apr 12	16 Jun 12	295£ 295	5555	5555	3 Nights
High season	16 Jun 12	8 Sep 12	360£ 360	6767	6767	4 Nights
September/October	8 Sep 12	27 Oct 12	295£ 295	5555	5555	4 Nights
Low season	27 Oct 12	22 Dec 12	210£ 210	4545	4545	4 Nights
Christmas/New Year	22 Dec 12	5 Jan 13	360£ 360	6767	6767	5 Nights

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

LONG TERM WINTER RATES FROM £620 per calendar month inclusive bills

AVAILABLE FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH

Please contact owner for details

Minimum rental period 3 nights

5% discount off current rates for returning guests on bookings of 4 nights or more

Bookings for 2 weeks are eligible for 10% discount off current rates

Bookings for longer than 2 weeks - minimum of 10% discount, please check with owner

Payment by cheque, bank transfer, PayPal or cash

Holiday weekends, including Easter, May and August Bank Holidays, Jazz Festival and September weekends, may incur a surcharge. Please contact owner for further details.

Rates include bed linen, towels, gas, electricity and end of stay cleaning. No security deposit required.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anway No. of adults No. of children Message * Email me special offers and holiday ideas T&Cs

2 years listed You are contacting Katrina Mcdiarmid Landline n/a Mobile +44 773 9111083 Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2009. This apartment has received 1 review from previous guests.