Bute Geographies

Virtual Field Trails

Virtual field trails are the academic equivalent of WWW-based pictorial tours. They afford the opportunity for the reader to ‘experience’ a place from their computer terminal. Typically, they consist of field images and narrative. Although offering an alternative to field visits, virtual field trails tend to be used to complement student visits to field sites. There are three ButeGeog field trails, each of which addresses one central theme and comprises of three sub-themes. A trail map allows the reader to ‘locate’ sites for each field trail. The three trails are listed below.

People and Environment Through Time: An Island Tour.
This field trail uses case study examples from the Isle of Bute to introduce readers to three key themes in the study of geography and environment: Environmental impact on people; People’s impact on the environment; and Environmental resources and opportunities. This field trail has been written by John McKendrick.

Contemporary Urban Geography of Rothesay.
This field trail uses case study examples from the town of Rothesay to introduce readers to three key themes in the study of contemporary urban issues: Urban form and function; Inheritance, Preservation, and Conservation; and Rothesay and the economy. This field trail has been written by Elizabeth Mooney.

Updated: 25 November, 2005