Have you ever stood at an ancient site, closed your eyes, and tried to imagine the life of someone from that time?
Whilst we live in a data-driven world where there is often little time for flights of fancy, there is still, somewhere underneath it all, a deep curiosity - and for some, a deeper yearning to connect - to our long-distant past.
Stepping Off the Day-Trip Trail
This connection feels more within reach here on Bute than any other place I’ve been. But it’s not just the castles and towers, neo-Gothic mansions, and church ruins that fascinate me. It’s Bute's hidden history that lies in the undergrowth, rarely visited because it isn't on the usual maps, walking route apps, or day-trip brochures.
When you find these mossy mounds that hold secrets deep beneath the earth, or massive hewn stones that were clearly once a part of something meaningful to a race long gone - be they prehistoric settlers, Brythonic Celts, Scots or Vikings - it captivates the imagination.
...and perhaps - if only for a moment - the veil between now and 7000 years ago thins. We need only to stand still and open our minds to feel the past come to meet us.
Of course, it’s likely little more than an overactive imagination meeting itself - but I don’t think it matters! Knowing that someone stood in that very spot, possibly also pondering the human condition we are, is somehow comforting. Regardless of how much time has passed, we are still the same lonely beings, seeking meaning beyond our ken.
Passing Down the Magic
That is the real magic of this island. It doesn't shout at you from a brochure; it waits quietly for you to find it.
And whilst my books are simple little stories, it's adults who read to the little ones. I hope that in some small way, they might encourage others to explore, imagine, and wonder at the ancient world right beneath our feet on Bute.
Why not do a little digging yourself (metaphorically!) Trove.scot has an incredible library of maps, images and texts all about Bute! And if you want to see the real artifacts uncovered from these mossy mounds, be sure to visit Bute Museum, right beside Rothesay Castle!