ROTHESAY has been named one of Britain's top ten coastal resorts by Holiday Which? magazine.
It's the only Scottish resort to make it into the league table of the UK's best seaside towns, published this week, which also includes the likes of Portrush, St Ives, Swanage, Sidmouth and Whitby.
The magazine touches on the appeal of Mount Stuar
t, Ettrick, Scalpsie and Kilchattan Bays, and the paddle steamer Waverley.
For wet weather it suggests Rothesay Castle and the Bute Museum, and recommends staying in the Boat House at £60 per night for a couple.
The article is pretty accurate, although it does refer to the island's jazz festival taking place at the end of July, and it may offend the purists by making the Winter Garden plural.
Billy Petrie, the convener of Argyll and Bute Council and former chairman of the AILLST tourist board, who has been holidaying on Bute for many years, said: "I'm not surprised at the award - Rothesay's gardens are always immaculate, Mount Stuart is one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish tourism and the Discovery Centre is the best tourist information centre in the country, bar none.
"To all concerned I say thank you - as the convener of the council I'm absolutely delighted.
"I'm sure other towns will be jealous at Rothesay's success, and I'm sure it will make them pull their socks up and try to match it."
(This article first appeared in the May 12, 2006 issue of The Buteman.)
