Oban

My sister had a new member of her family, and it was arranged that we would all meet up in Oban to get know him. She booked a nice large house in Ganavan a couple of kilometres from Oban town.

We arrived at the house and went into the main room. Our new member of the family was in the sitting room with my sister and husband. It was all very exciting. We spent the next few days in the environs of Ganavan getting to know him and exploring the coastline around there.

The weather was amazing and it felt like we were in the south of Europe but with views of the gorgeous Scottish coastline. Oban is set in the Firth of Lorn and is in a protected harbour with islands across to the west shielding it from the outer Irish Sea. Directly opposite is the island of Kerrara and further to the west the larger island of Mull. To the north west is the island of Lismore.

Oban was an easy walk from Ganavan along a fairly quiet minor road, and the views across the sound are pretty special.

It’s quite a small town but there are some good beaches around it near Ganavan and a ruined castle at Dunollie. The main reason you would go there is for its setting.

From Ganavan you can walk along the coast to Dunbeg and Dunstaffnage Castle. The castle was quite interesting and you could walk to the foot of its keep. It has sea on three sides and dates back the middle ages, though its strategic location has meant the area was inhabited going back 1500 years.

I walked across the fields to get there, while the rest of the family cycled there. The coastline is quite beautiful and many photos were taken.

Another day trip was to the island of Lismore. My family took bicycles on their cars and dropped me off as I was going to walk. We got the ferry across from Port Appin and I walked off into the island. They would cycle down the island while I would walk and we then met up at a great cafe part way down the island called the Isle of Lismore Cafe.

We then parted ways while they cycled to the south west corner of the island and I walked further south from the cafe and we met again at the ruined Achanduin Castle. The views from here across the loch was truly spectacular. I then walked back along the northern side of the island back the ferry port. It was quite a long walk but so worth it. They got back quicker and waited for me on the other side of the crossing for our return journey. The island was so beautiful in the sunshine and unspoiled with very few other visitors on that day.

Lismore

If you are lucky enough to get good weather, I would highly recommend visiting the area. It’s a great place to chill out and relax, and was an excellent place for some family time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *