Day 4 - Oban - Sunday, 1 September, 2024

Weather - Cloudy - 10 to 17ºc.

Accommodation - Glenroy Guesthouse, Oban


We woke early to sunny skies and seagulls calling but at nine o’clock a change came through and the day turned cool with cloudy skies. Yesterday’s summer outfits on the promenade were replaced by the ubiquitous puffer jacket including mine. We were pleased we saw Oban in the sunshine yesterday.


As our guesthouse is close to the town’s centre we decided we would walk to all the popular town’s attractions. Our first destination was only ten minutes away to McCaig’s Tower, a large colosseum-like structure on Battery Hill which overlooks the town. McCaig was a lover of all things Greek and Roman and it can’t be missed. 



McCaig organised the structure to be built in 1897 as a lasting legacy to his family and to provide work to unemployed stonemasons. Unfortunately McCaig died in 1902 and the family challenged any further work so only the outer walls were completed. The views over the town and the islands are impresssive.





We descended the hill and walked along the Oban promenade with historic buildings on one side and the outgoing tide on the other. 



As we walked we could hear tapping noises and when we looked over the promanade railings we saw many little birds flipping over stones making a clicking sound. These turned out to be the aptly named Turnstones which arrive in August from Scandavia and Iceland.


At the end of the very long promenade we took a woodland walk to the Dunollie Castle. We passed Fingal’s Dogstone which legend has it was where the ancient Celtic heroic warrior Fingal would tie up his dog, Bran; hence it being worn away at the bottom! In geology terms it is described as an ancient conglomerate sea stack. 



Very little remains of Dunollie Castle, the home of the Clan of MacDougall but the area was inhabited 10 000 years ago with cave dwellers in the area. The castle has a chequered history with the current ruins dating from the 15th century. It’s in a strategic spot overlooking the entry to the bay. 




Alongside the Dunollie Castle is the 1745 House Museum which houses the Clan MacDougall artifacts. In the old kitchen I loved browsing through the book “A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes” written by Queen Victoria’s chief cook. Upon researching it I found it can be downloaded for free having been written in 1852 and re-issued in 1977. A particularly useful recipe is No. 29 - How to Make the Most of a Pig After it has been Killed.



We retraced our steps along the promenade and rewarded ourselves lunch at the Oban Chocolate  Company with hot chocolate with, as Blyton would describe, lashings of cream. We also had scones with jam and even more lashings of cream. The cafe and shop were seems to be a favourite for locals and tourists.




Following our incredibly unhealthy lunch we visited the Oban War and Peace Museum, a small but well-organised museum on the promenade run by friendly, enthusiastic older gentlemen volunteers. Further along was a shop selling all things tartan with an unbelievable array scarves. 



We then “hit the wall” and decided to climb the Jacob’s Ladder steps (we counted the steps this time and there are 135) and have an afternoon rest. We both slept like the dead for about an hour. Our bodies must be still getting used to the change in times.


Before dinner we walked on the northern side of the town for more sightseeing. The weather was considerably cooler as we watched the efficient berthing of one of the very large ferries, “The Isle of Mull”. Sixty cars, motorbikes and vans quickly exited the ferry and it was soon ready for the return trip. 



Dinner was at Ee-Usk (fish in Gaelic), an award-winning seafood restaurant on the northern pier alongside its sister restaurant Piazza where we had dinner last night. Our hosts, Wendy and Hugh recommended Ee-Usk last night but it was booked out so we made sure we had a reservation for tonight. The meal we chose was local seafood of mussels, langostines, scallops and crab and it was delicious.



Tomorrow we drive to the Isle of Skye. 


And finally…




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