We started our counterclockwise circuit of Scotland heading north from Glasgow. It didn’t take long for the scenery to turn rural and green, and for the roads to change from highway to one-lane in each direction.
We stopped at Loch Lomond to take an hour-long cruise. It was gray and misty, but this mini-tour was an excellent introduction to the geology and history of the area – from the boat we could see the effect of the Highland Boundary Fault, where the landscape changes from flat Lowlands to rugged Highlands. The Loch is the biggest lake by surface area in Great Britain and has many islands and fancy homes and castles along the shore.
The drive to Oban (pronounced “Obin”) was stunning, following the mountains, and passing several lochs and small towns. We arrived in Oban and were pleased we had selected a small guesthouse on the hill. Known as the Gateway to the Isles (the Hebrides), we were impressed with the views of the small bay (the meaning of the Gaelic word oban).
We had a celebratory anniversary dinner (28 years!) at a fabulous fish restaurant. And we enjoyed the stroll back up the hill. Being in Scotland in late May/early June meant lots of daylight. There was barely 6 hours of darkness during our stay, making blackout curtains a necessity!
We chose to spend our day in Oban on an island boat tour that took us to see the Isles of Kerrera, Mull, and Lismore, which are located in the Firth of Lorn. We saw seals and dolphins, along with lighthouses and several medieval castles.
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The views of Oban’s shoreline were fantastic. We were lucky to have a beautiful, sunny day (one of the last of the trip, unfortunately). The tour was informative, and another highlight was Archie, the captain’s pup.
Our afternoon activity was a tour of the Oban Distillery, established in 1794 and one of the smallest in Scotland. It predates the town and hasn’t changed the way it makes whisky in over 200 years. We enjoyed the tour (with tastings) but quickly figured out that we wouldn’t need to do another whisky tour. First, because the process is straightforward, and most tours would likely be very similar. Second, because tours and tastings won’t change the “whiskey face” I make when drinking it. We’ll stick to wine! (Note: we encountered very few quality wine glasses in restaurants throughout Scotland. They clearly prioritize whiskey and beer consumption.) Jeff doesn’t make “whiskey face,” but still isn’t much of a fan. Here’s a bonus picture of Archie since I only took one photo at the distillery.
You could easily spend more time in the area, with lots of island hopping by ferry from Oban available. We elected to move on to the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Hebrides Islands.
More to come soon,
Shana & Jeff
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