Oban in Scotland, is a cute little coastal town in West Highlands, Scotland. It is often known as the Gateway to the Isles, because of its connectivity with Hebridean Isles. It is a perfect weekend getaway from nearby Scottish cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh. We have spent a weekend in the town exploring everything we could and in this post we will provide you our recommendation of top things to do in Oban.
Experience Seafood in Oban
If you want to experience seafood in Scotland then Oban is one of the most recommended places. It has fresh catch of mussels, scampi, crabs, lobsters and fishes to choose from. There are plenty of places to chose from, but the highest recommendation we had from locals and frequent visitors are The Green Shack and EE-USK. The Green Shack is just a small shack, where food is prepared by the local fisherman family but tasty and fresh. The best part very affordable. If you are looking for fancy sit in and dine then will highly recommend EE-USK, they have great ambience and tasty food.
Island Hopping around Oban Scotland
This is a must, if you are visiting Oban for a long weekend or just for a day. You can actually experience beautiful beaches at the nearby islands and the ferry to crossover is very cost effective.
We highly recommend Isle of Mull and Isle of Iona, as we have experienced both these isles. Our friends have recommended nearby islands as well which are gorgeous.
We also suggest if possible see the basalt rock cave in Isle of Staffa.
Wildlife cruise in Oban Scotland
Oban is a place from where you can go on many wildlife cruise boat trips. You can opt from Seal, Dolphin, Puffin and Whale watching trip. Depending on which season you plan to travel the wildlife may vary. The summer months are famous for spotting Puffins and you can spot whales from August onwards,
We planned our trip in June and we were lucky to spot Orcas, Puffins and Seals in one single trip.
Oban Distillery
Scottish whiskeys are famous worldwide and Oban got it’s own distillery to check out. Oban distillery is located in heart of the city you can just walk in and get a whiskey tasting session. In case, you can’t manage it then at least get a bottle of Oban scotch as a souvenir.
McCaigs Tower Oban Scotland
McCaigs tower is the most famous landscape in Oban, the moment you step out of the train you can see the tower uphill. In 1897 John McCaig a banker from oban started building this tower, similar to roman collossium architecture. It said that the original plan was to built bigger than what it is now, in midst of the construction John died and his family stopped spending on the tower. Nonetheless, the tower is gorgeous and free for all, it also provides 360 degree view of Oban city.
Oban Castle
Oban has quite few castles in and around Oban. You can pick Dunstaffnage Castle and Chapel which is near by to Oban city. If you are heading towards Isle of Mull then you can explore Duart Castle, that will be wonderful. Other than that Kilchurn Castle on the shores of Loch Awe is also perfect place to visit.
Hope our list helps you to plan your trip to Oban, In case you want to add an item, please comment below.
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