Oban

Be careful... you may fall in love.

Oban and Lorn

Oban (literally 'small bay' in Gaelic) boasts the best harbour of the Highland seaboard and the town is an unrivalled centre for West Highland touring.

As you sweep down the hill approaching Oban, ringed as it is by low wooded hills, the vista opens up before you and it is easy to see why Oban continues to attract visitors like a magnet. The mountains, lochs and islands have captivated tourists for centuries and are as timelessly striking now as when the ancient castles of the area stood sentinel.

Explore Nether Lorn and the Pass of Brander, Loch Awe and Loch Fyne; go north to Glencoe and return by Strath Orchy; these and a multitude of variations. But when you stand by the seafront, it is the channelled isles that call you; the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull, the Lynn of Lorn and Loch Linnhe, the open seaways to Mull and Lismore, Staffa and Iona, Coll, Tiree and even Barra and South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

The exploratory adventure is yours if you choose and that is the great allure of Oban. Visitors return again and again, seeking and finding still more to do and see and marvel at.

In Town

In the town there is a good range of shops and many restaurants, cafes and bars, several offering live music during the season. A visit to the 200 year old working distillery, where the classic Oban Malt is produced, is highly recommended. Atlantis Leisure Centre incorporates health and fitness suites, swimming pool, squash and tennis courts and many other facilities. There is also a bowling green for those who prefer something a little less energetic.

Sea bathing may be enjoyed at Ganavan Sands and there are several excellent golf courses in Lorn. Glencruitten Course in Oban is scenic in nature though hilly and certainly offers a challenge to all levels of golfer.

This part of Argyll offers a wide variety of walking and rambling in countryside of mountain and loch, forest and moor, island and inlet. Botanists and gardening enthusiasts will find much to inspire them in the many gardens in the area, some set in the finest scenery imaginable. There is a spectacular diversity of bird life too, from seabird colonies to the high-hill havens of the birds of prey.

The History

History and heritage are everywhere and there is an abundance of historic sites for the visitor to explore. Off the rocky Ross of Mull lies the little island of Iona, steeped in history as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. From this isle, Columba spread the Gospel across the ancient kingdom and Iona still generates its own peace and tranquillity to pilgrim and tourist alike.