OBAN

The panorama of Oban Bay that greets the visitor entering Oban on the main A85 road leaves a lasting memory. Sunlight sparkling on the water, yachts skimming the waves in the breeze, the volcanic peaks of the Island of Mull, ferries and day boats plying their trade and fishermen busy about their business - all present a lively scene.It is ideally placed as a holiday centre, with many amenities and attractions within easy reach. Whether you are looking to bag munros, visit quiet beaches, enjoy a stroll through one of Argyll's forests, visit one of the splendid coastal and woodland gardens, entertain the children at a visitor attraction, or soak up some local history at one of the many historical sites and castles, in the Western Highlands you will be spoilt for choice!
The town radiates from the busy harbour and Victorian esplanade and is overlooked by McCaig's Tower, an unfinished colosseum-like structure set atop Pulpit Hill. The short but steep walk to the tower rewards the visitor with magnificent views over the town and Oban Bay.
Oban itself is renowned for good food, good accommodation to suit all budgets, top class entertainment and most of all for its West Highland Welcome. It is a thriving port and shopping centre with numerous craft shops, woollen shops, a glassworks, distillery and heritage centre. It also boasts a Rare Breeds Park, leisure centre and swimming pool, bowling green, diving centre, riding centre, water sports facilities, night-clubs, amusement arcades, a cinema and concert hall.
For many centuries Oban was an important resting place for drovers as they herded cattle from the isles on their journey to markets in the South. It is now a starting point for ferry journeys to many of the inner and outer Hebrides and is know as the 'Gateway to the Isles'.
The town's oldest building is Dunollie Castle, which was first recorded in the 7th Century and became the stronghold of the Lorn kings of North Dalriada. Although abandoned in the mid 18th Century, its ivy-clad walls endure as a striking monument to history, at the North end of Oban Bay.