We departed Corpach early with the cloud cover over Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak, gradually lifting – a harbinger of a fine weather day to come. Beyond the sea lock we entered Atlantic waters for the first time. The town of Fort William was to our port side. Fort William is well-known to generations of British schoolchildren as the town with the highest rainfall in the country. But not today! In warm sunshine we sailed through the Corran Narrows and along Loch Linnhe towards our destination of Oban, with a morning presentation about the coming of Christianity to Britain to prepare us for our up-coming visit to Iona.
The railway reached Oban from Glasgow in the 19th century, securing its resort status after it had been publicized by celebrated poets, painters and musicians. Wordsworth, Tennyson, Turner and Mendelsohn were all here making the Highlands and Islands of Scotland a fashionable tourist destination. Queen Victoria herself came here to admire the views after which the town has never looked back.
Today Oban is a bustling port town, with constant ferry traffic to and from the Hebrides islands and an active fishing fleet. The latter gives the town a large number of excellent fish restaurants. On arrival we saw the Oban Distillery that has occupied the same site since 1794, which we visited later in the day. There are two cathedrals in Oban – a Roman Catholic one and Episcopalian one. Other excursions were to Dunollie Castle, a delightful small castle that is still home to the MacDougall clan, and up to McCaig’s Folly, an extraordinary tower that closely resembles the Colosseum in Rome. It was designed as a memorial to a banker from the town and work began in 1897 but it was never fully completed. The town occupies a wonderful location that affords remarkable views over the surroundings islands and headlands. Our good fortune with the weather continued for another day and guests enjoyed the opportunity to sample the excellent seafood on offer along the picturesque quayside.
