A Visit to Oban, Scotland

Oban is probably my favorite town in Scotland. I'm not sure why but I'm drawn to it and the whole Argyll area. It feels like home. What's great about staying near Oban is there is so much to see and do. The ferries go out to the islands. There are castles and neolithic sites. If you need to buy something or eat out, there are plenty of shops and restaurants.

Wikimedia Commons. View of Oban from Druim Mor. Photographer: Dorcas Sinclair

Oban is known as the Gateway to the Islands and means "the little bay" in Gaelic. Archaeological remains say the place now known as Oban has been occupied since Mesolithic times.

Dunollie Castle

Dunollie Castle sits at the north end of the bay and, long before this castle existed, around the 7^th century, the fortified site was one of the main centers of the Celtic Kingdom of Dalriada. Dunollie Castle was home to the MacDougall Clan. They were descendants of the Lord of the Isles.

Prior to the 19th century, few people lived in Oban. Its main industries were fishing, trading, ship building and quarrying. John and Hugh Stevenson were known as Oban's Founding Fathers. They established a boat building yard, a tannery and a brewery which became Oban distillery in 1794.

In 1847 Queen Victoria described Oban as "one of the finest spots we have seen." The railway followed in 1880 and Oban became a popular tourist attraction. Over a million people visit each year.

"Oban Bay, Skottland", painted by Hans Gude in 1889

Click on the above painting to see what Oban looked like in 1889.


Oban is now considered a resort town. The general population is just over 8000 but during the high season, summer, the number of inhabitants can rise to 25,000.

To me Oban is like a little city or maybe a wee city. :) The first time I started driving through it, I almost panicked because it really looks and feels like a bigger city at first. But before I knew it, we were in the country again. I was shocked at how small it actually was in terms of the space it occupies. It isn't all that difficult to drive through, but more fun than that is walking through it and looking at all the beautiful historic buildings.

We stayed in a cottage about four miles from Oban. On our first day there, we decided to explore part of Oban. We parked on the side of a street and had breakfast in a tiny cafe. Great food! After that we walked toward the waterfront to do some shopping. Oban has several grand old hotels. Above is the Caledonian.

A nice view of the waterfront. Kayakers were out. It was a beautiful day.

Boats and islands on the opposite side of the bay.

A grand Victorian hotel, the Columba Hotel.

The Iona Shop and Caledonian Hotel

Another shot of the Caledonian.

 The Caledonian Hotel was built in 1882. During World War II, it was used as a base by the Royal Navy. It has since been restored beautifully. It has 59 rooms and the waterfront location looks ideal.

More waterfront buildings.

A lovely boat or yacht and the islands beyond.

This is a view of the bay from on board the ferry as we headed out to Isle of Mull a couple days later. It was a cold, windy, cloudy day.

Clocktower outside Oban Station

When we returned it was around 5 pm. With the clouds, it wasn't very bright for my pictures, but I still enjoyed the walk. The temperature was pretty good and I was glad it wasn't raining.

View of Oban, near the harbor with McCaig's Tower in the background.

McCaig's Tower a folly and prominent landmark in Oban was built in 1897 by local banker, councillor, and Chief Magistrate, John Stuart McCaig. His intention was to provide work for the local stone masons who had been unemployed and provide a monument for the McCaig family. We didn't have time to walk up to it but I intend to in the future. I understand there are gardens inside and it provides spectacular views of Oban Bay and the islands.

 Oban was important during World War II and during the Cold War. The Transatlantic Telephone Cable came ashore at nearby Gallanach Bay. This was the hot line between the US and USSR presidents. Tourism is Oban's largest industry now. Oban also serves as an important port for the ferries going out to the Hebrides.

The Royal Hotel and the Commonwealth flags in Argyll Square

 9.4% of Oban's population speak Scottish Gaelic.

The Royal Hotel

Bossards Patisserie

I took this picture the next day when the weather was too windy and rainy to do more than shop late in the afternoon. It was so bad the ferries couldn't run. Still, it wasn't a bad day because we got to shop for goodies and souvenirs.

Hope you've enjoyed this brief visit to Oban. :)

P.S. I donated a Scotland Basket to the Brenda Novak Online Auction for Diabetes Research. It has lots of Scottish goodies in it, some of which I bought in Oban. Click the below picture to make it larger.

  Click here to check out the auction or bid!

Thanks!!
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com