Oban

Oban is the main ferry port for the southern Hebrides, with sailings to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay, Barra and South Uist, so its harbour is the practical hinge of the west coast. Above the town stands McCaig's Tower, a granite ring on the model of the Colosseum, begun in 1897 by a local banker who wanted to give stonemasons winter work and to build a family monument; he died in 1902 and only the outer wall was completed, so it is a hollow circle of arches with a garden inside and a view over the bay. Oban Distillery has operated in the centre of town since 1794, with the town growing around it. Seafood is landed and sold directly at the harbour, and the green shack on the pier is a fixture.

What you actually see

• McCaig's Tower - an unfinished granite Colosseum on the hill above town.
• The ferry harbour - sailings to six or more Hebridean islands.
• Oban Distillery - working in the town centre since 1794.
• The seafood shack - landings sold directly on the pier.

When to go

April to October for ferries at full frequency and boat trips; the town is very busy in summer and accommodation books ahead. Winter sailings are reduced and weather cancellations are common.

Honest expectations

Oban is a transit town and its centre is functional rather than pretty. Ferry cancellations for weather are frequent and can strand plans. Parking near the pier is difficult in season. The distillery tour books out weeks ahead.

Nearby

Mull and Iona are reached by ferry; Kilchurn Castle and Loch Awe lie east.