Oban means ‘little bay’ in the Gaelic language and it is well named, with a sweep of bay that stretches from one end of the town to the other. Although Samuel Johnson and Boswell visited Oban and the island of Mull in 1773, the former fishing village really only started to become a town during Victorian times. Wordsworth visited in 1833 and Queen Victoria herself came with Prince Albert in 1847, calling it ‘one of the finest spots we have seen’.
Easily reached by car, train or bus from central Scotland, the journey of around three hours passes some of the most stunning scenery in the west of Scotland, including journeying along one side of Loch Lomond.
McCaig’s Tower above Oban
Overlooking the bay from its position above the town, McCaig’s Tower is an incongruous sight, resembling a Colosseum. The brain-child of Victorian banker, John Stuart McCaig, his philanthropic idea was to keep the local stonemasons in work.
Although the project was never completed by the year of McCaig’s death, it is a lasting memorial to the McCaig family. It can be reached by a steep walk up to the viewing platform, where the views over Oban to the islands make it worth the effort.
Exploring Oban
There is a distinct highland feel to Oban, with its café and restaurants offering good Scottish food. Many of the shops sell tartan goods, lambs wool sweaters and Fair Isle patterned clothes. McTavish’s Kitchens, in the centre of town, also features a Scottish Show between May and September, with Scottish dancing, pipes, accordion and fiddles. Visitors might catch a performance around the area from the Oban Pipe Band during summer.
Being a market town, with a strong farming community, Oban has regular sales of highland cattle. Fresh fish and seafood such as trout, salmon, scallops, mussels and oysters are all available from the clear waters around the town, and are served in many of the local restaurants.
Not to be missed is the two hundred year old Oban Malt Whisky Distillery, where visitors can take a tour and enjoy a wee sample dram of this famous single malt whisky at the Visitors’ Centre. Founded in 1794, the town virtually grew around the distillery and it is still at the heart of the community.
Sailing to the Scottish Isles from Oban
One of the reasons that Oban is such an attractive and popular tourist area is because visitors can reach many of the Scottish western isles by car ferry from the pier. Caledonian MacBrayne operates services to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist, Colonsay and Islay.
The whole area is an island hopper’s paradise and illustrates why the town is known as the ‘gateway to the isles’. The islands closer to Oban, such as Lismore, Kerrera, Luing and Easdale, are also easily accessible.
From Mull, visitors can easily reach the spiritual island of Iona, or take another ferry to Staffa and explore Fingal’s Cave, made famous by Mendelssohn. The islands of Seil and Easdale are also reached by the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’, just south of Oban. For those in search of a luxury holiday, the small cruise ship, the Hebridean Princess, is based in Oban and sails around many of the northern islands and Outer Hebrides.
For those who prefer to stay in and around Oban, there are many activities available from sea kayaking and hillwalking to the Scottish Sealife Sanctuary. As befits its stunning coastal area, however, many of the activities are based around sea activities, with whale watching and Seafari adventures.
The surrounding area is also steeped in history, with castles, strongholds and picturesque lochs, many of which played a big part in the making of Scotland as a nation. For details of where to stay and what to do, see the official website for Oban Tourism.
Rosemary Gemmell - Professional freelance writer of published short stories and articles in the UK, US and online. Author of historical romance and ...
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