Oban and the Isle of Mull

Oban is a beautiful coastal town in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is also your harbour for the ferry to the Isle of Mull – one of the most special islands of all…

Intro and travel report

The town of Oban by the sea is somewhat off the tourist mainstream. Most people will probably travel directly from Glasgow or Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye or Lough Ness, but not necessarily take the diversions through to the western Highlands.

That’s good and bad. Bad for the people who don’t realise what they’ve missed and good for the connoisseurs who can enjoy the most beautiful landscapes without the crowds. I belonged to the second group when I explored the Highlands intensively by motorbike a few years ago. And then a few more times by car.

Oban was a surprise for me. Even the journey from Port…? over the mountains to the coast was a highlight. I arrived in the town in the afternoon, found my pre-booked accommodation (a beautiful old house with a view of the sea!) and had the late afternoon and evening to explore the town, which is very easy to walk around.

And so I did. First I went to the ferry terminal, where I bought my ticket for the crossing to the Isle of Mull for the next morning and then I explored the harbour and the city centre extensively. And of course I also had a nice dinner here at the end of the long day.

It was wonderful to spend the evening in Oban and on the pier. I simply drifted along in the cosy hustle and bustle of people enjoying themselves here. Past marvellous old buildings, pubs and restaurants, along the piers.

With the screeching of the seagulls in my ears, I looked out over the beautiful bay of Oban, the fishing boats and the pleasure craft and savoured the evening atmosphere to the full.

The next morning, after a sumptuous Scottish breakfast, I rolled up to the ferry terminal and onto the small ferry in just a few minutes. I was soon able to admire the marvellous bay of Oban from the water. The calm crossing was a dream!

The weather was rather grey, but the views were great! Out of the bay, the Isle of Mull soon came into view. Chugging closer, I could make out a lighthouse and soon a castle right on the coast. There was forest to be seen, individual houses on the coast and the tiny ferry harbour.

I rolled off the ferry in high spirits and set off to circumnavigate the southern half of the small island. The northern half was to follow. You can set off in both directions from the ferry pier.

The roads were narrow and dual carriageways at the beginning, but on the west coast of the island there are only single lanes! Nevertheless, there is oncoming traffic. Every now and then there are passing bays where one of the two drivers has to stop to let the other one pass. The locals are good at this, the tourists not always…

The west coast of the island was stunningly beautiful! Really stunning! The tiny road meandered right along the water, with rugged cliffs below and sometimes above the road. Fantastic views of the coast awaited around every bend and sheep were everywhere – especially in the middle of the road.

I was travelling in September and the traffic was sparse – fortunately! After countless bends and photo stops, I arrived back in the centre of the island in the afternoon. Where had the time gone?

I hadn’t driven very many kilometres, but I had only made very slow progress on the tiny roads with lots of stops.

I didn’t have any time left for the northern half of the island, as the last ferry was soon leaving for the mainland. Not back to Oban, but via Lochaline back to the mainland (or rather to the main Scottish island).

The ferry journey was very short this time, but also beautiful, and then I found myself almost alone somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the western Highlands, with a good journey ahead of me to the next overnight stay. The nowhere turned out to be completely lonely and wild and beautiful – simply marvellous!

Sightseeing in and around Oban

The McCaig’s Tower above Oban, a never-completed replica of the Colosseum in Rome, is striking. The open tower is freely accessible, offers a beautiful view over the city and has a small park inside.

The Oban Distillery has been in existence since 1794 and is located in the centre of Oban, almost directly on the harbour. You can visit it, take a tour and of course sample some fine whiskeys. See: https://www.malts.com/en/oban.

The War and Peace Museum is also located in Oban right on the waterfront and tells the story of the Canadian, Australian and US Air Force presence in Oban as well as the town’s maritime and fishing history. See: http://www.obanmuseum.org.uk.

St Columbás Cathedral Oban is also located directly on the waterfront and is a Romanesque cathedral well worth seeing. See: https://www.rcdai.org.uk/oban-st-columbas-cathedral/.

If you follow the coastal road northwards, just after Oban you will come to Dunollie Castle, a small ruined castle in a beautiful location with wonderful views over the bay. There is also a small café and a museum. See: https://www.dunollie.org.

A little further along the coast road to the north you will find Dunstaffnage Castle. Built around 1240, it was the ancestral seat of the McDougalls for a long time before it was taken over by Robert de Bruve. See: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dunstaffnage-castle-and-chapel/.

A brief background to Oban

Oban is a small town with a population of around 10,000 in the Argyll and Bute region in the western Highlands of Scotland.

The town’s very sheltered harbour used to be the most important ferry port to many islands in the Inner and Outer Hebrides and still is today. Fishing, maritime trade and ferry traffic played an important economic role in the past, helping Oban to achieve a certain prosperity.

The many beautiful Victorian-style buildings bear witness to this today. Today, the town boasts the title of Scotland’s seafood capital!

In the 19th century, Oban was connected to the railway network, which accelerated the town’s development.

However, some of the connections were later cancelled. However, the old Oban Whiskey Distillery still exists today. Well, you just have to prioritise :-).

Conclusion

Oban is a beautiful little harbour town in the western Highlands. It’s a great place to stay overnight. From here you can either take the ferry to the Isle of Mull, which is what I did, or follow the coast road in both directions and explore the western Highlands.

There is much less going on here than on the Isle of Skye, for example, making Oban and the beautiful Isle of Mull almost an insider tip.

If you want to spend the night on the island, I strongly recommend booking in advance as the options are limited. I recklessly didn’t do this and therefore had to leave the island on the last ferry in the late afternoon.

In any case, this part of Scotland is absolutely beautiful and I fully intend to return at the next opportunity!

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Cover picture: View of Oban (Photo: Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg)