Buteshire was created as a shire (the area administered by a sheriff) by Robert II around 1385. Prior to that the islands in the Firth of Clyde had not formed part of any shire. The position of Sheriff of Bute was initially given to Robert's illegitimate son, John Stewart, and subsequently passed to John's descendants, who became the Earls of Bute in 1703.[3]
Meanwhile, in 1667 Commissioners of Supply were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890.[5] Elected county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, taking most of the functions of the Commissioners of Supply. The County of Bute Council was based at the Rothesay Town Hall and County Buildings at 31 High Street in Rothesay, which had been built in 1835 and served as the meeting place for Rothesay Town Council and the Commissioners of Supply, as well as being the courthouse for Buteshire.[6]
The County of Bute was abolished for local government purposes in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts, with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. The County of Bute was included in the Strathclyde region, with the Isle of Bute being placed in the Argyll district, and the Isle of Arran and the Cumbraes being placed in Cunninghame district.[7] Strathclyde region was abolished in 1996 when the regions and districts were replaced by unitary council areas, with Argyll and Bute becoming a council area, and Cunninghame being renamed to become the North Ayrshire council area.[8]
The County of Bute historic boundaries are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a registration county.[9]
Geography
Little Cumbrae seen from the Haylie Brae on the mainland, with Great Cumbrae in the foreground at the right and Arran beyond
Arran is Scotland's 7th largest island and is a popular tourist destination, often referred to as 'Scotland in miniature' due to the wide variety of scenery and geographical features that can be found here. The island is roughly peanut-shaped, being flatter in the south and more mountainous in the north, culminating in Goat Fell, the tallest mountain in Buteshire at 874 metres (2,866ft). It is separated from the Kintyre Peninsula by the Kilbrannan Sound. Bute is in contrast is a much flatter though somewhat hilly island, especially in the north; it is separated from the Cowal Peninsula by the narrow Kyles of Bute. A number of lochs lie in the centre of the island, most notably Loch Fad, Loch Quien and Loch Ascog.
Transport
The Isle of Bute is connected by ferry to Wemyss Bay on the mainland; a ferry also connects the island with the Cowal Peninsula from the north-east of the island. An A-road runs along Bute's east coast and loops around the island's southern half; the northern half of the island is less well-served and can mostly only by traversed by foot or bike. Arran is also connected to the Scottish mainland by ferry; from the north one can reach Tarbert and Claonaig in Kintyre, and from Brodick ferries depart for Ardrossan in Ayrshire and Campbeltown further down the Kintyre Peninsula. A road goes around the edge of the island, with a B road cutting east–west across. A ferry also connects Great Cumbrae with Largs in Ayrshire.
In 1983, eight years after Scottish local government counties had been abolished, the Bute and Northern Ayrshire constituency was divided between the Argyll and Bute constituency and the Cunninghame North constituency.
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