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Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the UK Town of Culture expert advisory panel, was welcomed to the Isle of Bute last week as more than 50 islanders came together to showcase the island's culture, creativity and community spirit ahead of its bid for the 2028 title.

Sir Phil and Lady Redmond braved stormy conditions to reach the island, travelling in the safe hands of CalMac and enjoying a special visit to the ferry's bridge to meet the captain and crew, a particular highlight for Sir Phil. 

Their first stop on land was Rothesay's Bank of Ideas, where they met residents, representatives from Rothesay Pavilion and Argyll and Bute Council, local businesses, volunteers and councillors. From there, the couple visited the Creative Courtyard project at Press - a micro roastery and café space, meeting local artists and creatives. A community lunch at Bute Yard brought together local artists, businesses and residents, with Sir Phil and Lady Redmond treated to a performance by young Highland dancers from the Chloe Aiken School of Dance.

We were delighted to welcome the group to Mount Stuart. They viewed original Burns work with hand annotations alongside his gauging rod. 

The day concluded at the community-owned Winter Garden, where the couple enjoyed a short film in the historic cinema and met 20 volunteers working to repair flood damage caused by the weekend's storms, which had affected several town centre businesses. 

Bute was named among just 15 shortlisted locations for the inaugural UK Town of Culture title in July, selected from almost 400 entries across the UK. The island is now preparing its final bid, due on 30 November, with the winning location set to receive £3 million to deliver a programme of cultural activity in 2028. Sir Phil and Lady Redmond's visit was an opportunity to experience the shortlisted island first-hand and was not a formal judging visit.

It's not too late to submit your own ideas, which you can do so here.

Photographs by Lee Davidson Connor @ A Sound of Bute Photography