Neolithic Era Evidence of early occupation exists in the form of cairns at the north end of the isle, such as the long cairn or Cairnbaan and the white cairn at Lenihuline Wood. Other prehistoric structures are to be found such as a fort complex at Dunagoil. The Kingarth sun circle is estimated to be around 3000 years old. A well known artifact is the Queen of the Inch necklace, which is an article of jewellery made of
jet found in a
cist that dates from circa 2000 BC.
Dal Riata Era Bute was absorbed into the
Cenél Comgaill of
Dál Riata and colonised by Gaelic peoples. Saint
Maccai (died 460) was said to have founded a monastery on the island.Other well known Gaelic missionaries associated with the island of the 5th and 6th centuries include
Cathan whilst the Irish Text
Martyrology of Tallaght makes a reference to
Blane, the Bishop of Kingarth on Bute, "in
Gall-Ghàidheil". The island subsequently fell under
Norse control and formed part of the
Kingdom of the Isles, ruled by the
Crovan dynasty.
Kingdom of the Isles However, in the 12th century, the island, along with Arran, was granted by David I to
Somerled, Lord of Argyll, Kintyre and Lorne. At about the turn of the 13th century, Bute appears to have come into possession of the
family of the
Steward of Scotland, during a time of internal strife amongst Somerled's descendants. During the 13th century, Bute was the target of two Norwegian attempts to reassert authority in the Isles. For instance,
Rothesay Castle fell to a Norwegian-backed King of the Isles in 1230, and fell again to the Norwegians in 1263. In 1266, the Norwegian king,
Magnus VI, ceded the
Kingdom of the Isles to the Scottish king,
Alexander III, in return for a very large sum of money, by the
Treaty of Perth. Alexander Stewart of Dundonald had been the chief military commander of Scottish forces at the Battle of Largs, and was now rewarded by King Alexander III by being confirmed in possession of Bute and Arran.
Under Scottish rule In 1549,
Dean Monro wrote of "Buitt" that it was: very fertyle ground, namelie for aitts, with twa strenthes; the ane is the round castle of Buitt, callit Rosay of the auld, and Borrowstone about it callit Buitt. Before the town and castle is ane bay of sea, quhilk is a gude heavin for ships to ly upon ankers. That uther castle is callit the castle of Kames, quhilk Kames in Erishe is alsmeikle as to say in English the bay Castle. In this ile ther is twa paroche kirks, that ane southe callit the kirk of Bride, the uther northe in the Borrowstone of Buitt, with twa chappells, ane of them above the towne of Buitt, the uther under the forsaid castle of Kames. Under Scottish Rule, Bute and Arran were governed as a unit, the
shrievalty aligning with
the comital jurisdiction. The latter merged into the crown, as a result of Alexander Stewart's great-grandson,
Robert, inheriting the throne via
his mother. A corresponding title,
Duke of Rothesay was created by Robert's son for the
heir apparent, without landlordship of the land. Robert had already granted the sheriffdom to
his bastard son, heritably; consequently, in the early 18th century, the latter's senior descendant acquired the (non-comital) title
Earl of Bute. During the seventeenth century, there were accusations of
witchcraft: in 1630 an unknown number of women confessed to the crime and were confined in the dungeon at Rothesay Castle, left without food or water, and died from starvation. Other instances are recorded but the most fervent activity occurred during the
Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661–62 when at least four
Bute witches were executed; one woman who was convicted at that time escaped but the sentence was enacted when she returned to the island in 1673. When the comital powers were abolished by the
Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 and counties formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, Bute and Arran became the
County of Bute. Later reforms merged Bute, without Arran, into the wider region of
Argyll and Bute.
World War II Bute played a major role during
World War II, and its naval involvements were especially significant.
HMS Cyclops was the
depot ship for the 7th
Submarine Flotilla and was home-based in Rothesay Bay. A few miles further north at
Port Bannatyne, the luxury 88-bedroom Kyles Hydro Hotel overlooking the Port, was requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the HQ for midget submarine (X-craft) operations. In particular, it was from here (hotel renamed
HMS Varbel) that the top secret and audacious
attack on the Tirpitz was masterminded. Much of the training of X-craft submariners was undertaken in the waters around Bute, and especially in the secluded waters of Loch Striven to the north of Port Bannatyne. Bute at War. Bute accommodated many officers and
NCOs of the
Polish Armed Forces in the West. Officially a military camp, it was unofficially thought of as a prison for
Władysław Sikorski's political enemies.
21st century On 2 July 2018, the island was shocked by the murder and rape of 6-year-old girl
Alesha MacPhail after she was taken from her bed by a 16-year-old male. The 16-year-old, Aaron Campbell, was caught, charged and convicted, and given a life sentence. Several major wildfires started on 18–19 April 2019 in the north of the island, involving a substantial area of moorland and conifer plantation. ==Transport==