A few days in Oban & Inverary
Updated: Aug 29
Having just returned from a week and a half in Scotland, I am definitely feeling the post-holiday blues.
The first few days we spent over the border were quite busy, as we moved around a lot from one place to the other in order to see friends and family and attend my sister's wedding. We also had my parents-in-law in tow. Joyful, chaotic, crowded and fleeting are the words I would use to describe our first five days up north. I would go as far as to say those days were quite stressful, although speckled with plenty of wonderful moments!
Things started to quieten down once we set off for my cousins' in the Stirling area, spent a day with them, and then headed even further north towards the Oban area, where we'd booked some self-catering accommodation for four nights and five days in a small village called Taynuilt, which is about a 20 minutes' drive from Oban itself.
If you've never had the good fortune to venture to the Highlands of Scotland before, let me paint you a picture. As beautiful as the lowlands are, the central belt is where 70% of Scotland's population reside, so it's still quite industrial and more urban in nature. As you start to journey further north, you become aware of how far apart the villages are and how much forest and wilderness there is between them. For me, as you leave the bigger cities of the lower regions behind, it's like the air suddenly changes, and as the purple-studded mountains rise up on either side and the trees disappear into the horizon as far as the eye can see, you have the feeling of finally getting to see nature in its truest and most spectacular form; (somewhat) left untouched.
This part of our journey was spectacular. Forests gave way to lochs, lochs gave way to hills, hills gave way to pastures, pastures gave way to farmsteads and hamlets... I was immediately in awe of the green everywhere, and it healed something in me, having been witness to a lot of hot, dry weather in the south of England this summer where we live, which has caused the grass to turn yellowish brown and some of the trees to look prematurely wilted.
Eventually we reached Taynuilt and turned left along a quiet road, weaving through farms and past some holiday chalets until we reached the entrance to the grounds of our own holiday rental.
Our accommodation was a beautiful two bedroom flat - the 'MacFarlane' suite (useless information interlude: my primary school headteacher's surname!) in a complex called 'Lonan House' ("Macfarlane Suite - Lonan House Taynuilt Scotland" if you want to be nosey!!). It had received plenty of positive reviews and we were immediately drawn to the rural look of the place, its dog-friendliness and cottage-like charm. When we arrived on the grounds, we weren't disappointed.
The grounds were home to some enormous trees and beautiful wooded areas. I was certain my dog would love exploring these as much as we would (Gus has since given the place 5 stars out of 5: "Loved paddling in the burns, chewing the sticks and sampling the doggy treats I was given. I was even tolerated by the local cat, which is unusual for me seeing as I am so boisterous and friendly. Plenty of wonderful places to pee. Would come again.")
Lonan House is situation along 'the Road of the Kings' in picturesque Glen Lonan, which, according the house's website, was 'the processional route of the ancient kings on their final journey to Iona'. You do get the impression that there is something quite special about this woodland area. Folklore and spirituality seem to find their mix in this ancient land, where the peace is tangible and all-pervasive. I felt it every morning when I woke up and each time I stepped out into the grounds with my dog, or even as we drove through in the car.
The self-accommodation suites are contained inside a beautiful country home with a sizeable car park, well-maintained gardens with a covered area for picnics and barbecues, and then just beyond, the beautiful woodland I've mentioned.
Our suite was at the top of the building. I loved the tartan carpets which lined the halls and stairways, and photos of highland cows on the walls. Small touches, but I hoped it would all add to the 'Scottish feeling' I was desperate for my parents-in-law to experience. On entering the building I also noticed a delightful smell. It turned out to be a diffuser from the Highland Soap Company. I made a mental note to peruse their shop in Oban when we went. Maybe I could find some nice gifts to take back with us.
Sometimes one needs to be a realist, and on entering our flat, there was one small detail which took us by surprise and caused us to moan for a few minutes. The two bedrooms were adjoined and set at one end of the flat, the bathroom was on the other. We realised that this would mean that whoever chose to sleep in the furthermost bedroom would have to cross the other bedroom to use the bathroom during the night. A small inconvenience in an otherwise delightful place to stay. As we thought about this over the duration of our visit, we realised that the suite had probably been designed for a family with children, rather than for two couples. I think we managed to make light of it and nobody was really harmed in the making.
The flat was full of other (more delightful!) surprises. Stocked with milk, fresh bread, cheese, small jars of chutney and jam, treats from a local chocolate shop, and soap from aforementioned Highland Soap company; each need had been anticipated in advance and thoughtfully provided for.
Having married into a French family and lived in France myself for 6.5 years, I am fully aware of our cultural differences and have learned how to adapt and benefit from these differences; even celebrate them. One of these differences I was reminded of during our stay near Oban is the cultural centre of the home. (Italicised as this is the term I have come up with for this!) Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like in the UK we tend to spend more of our time together as a family or with friends in the living-room. It's the hub of the home; where we rest, play, talk together, watch TV, or nap, if we feel so inclined. In France, people tend to do their living around the dining-room table.
They spend hours over a meal, talking and socialising, maybe playing games or indulging in other pastimes. I was reminded of this by how my husband's parents tended to gravitate towards the dining-room (which was far smaller than the living-room), and read, do puzzles or play games on their laptop in there. My husband, our dog and I tended to spend more time in the cosy living-room. They had even provided dog blankets, so Gus could join us on the sofas. Surrounded by so much peace and tranquility and striking natural beauty, I found my creative juices starting to flow again and I got back into writing my novel in that room.
But I'm sure you don't just want to hear about the accommodation. As much as we allowed ourselves time to enjoy our accommodation by taking slow mornings and spending each evening there, we also made sure to enjoy the surrounding areas and Oban & Inverary in particular.
Our first order of the day was Inverary. An eighteenth century town of Georgian architecture; utterly gorgeous and well worth the visit. We arrived late morning, walked along the seafront and onto the pier, and then thought about looking for somewhere to have lunch. My husband's mum was in the mood for some seafood. In the end we settled on 'The George Inn', a traditional pub with food to suit all tastes. It is rare for me to find my favourite white wine in Scotland ("Picpoul de Pinet"), but I did here, and also thoroughly enjoyed a delicious chicken Caesar salad with the addition of fresh anchovies. My husband and his mum shared a seafood platter whilst my father-in-law enjoyed a venison burger. He liked the fact that the portion sizes weren't ridiculously big, as he had found them to be elsewhere.
If I may be permitted to say, I find that from about this point in Scotland and onwards (or should I say, upwards), you start to see many faces looking as though they could just have stepped off of a Viking boat from the eighth or ninth century. Of course this look is not only specific to the north of Scotland; these genes have propagated far and wide; but it certainly adds to the charm of these towns, to see the ruddy yet pale skin, piercing blue eyes and blonde or red hair of those most certainly descended from Scandinavians. It would have been strange of me to take photos of these people. I couldn't help do a double take at a couple of venders selling seafood from a truck, with their long beards woven into braids, their cheeks posy red and their Viking good looks!!
After lunch we headed to Inverary Castle. This castle is the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Argyll, who were the chiefs of Clan Campbell. To this day, the castle still belongs to the Campbell family. The 13th Duke of Argyll, Ian Campbell, currently resides there with his family, even though they have opened a large part of it to the public. I wondered if it was worth mentioning to the staff there that I myself am 12.5% Campbell through my mum's side, and how I could go about getting my share of the spoils?!
I have visited quite a few Scottish castles in my time, yet this one feels far more homely and inviting than some of the others, perhaps because it's still lived in, or perhaps because it looks more like a 'palace' than a castle. Apparently its construction started in 1746. Due to a fire in 1877, a third floor was added along with some distinctive conical roofs on the corner towers. All castles tell a story. I always get a sense or feel of what may have gone on inside a place when I visit. Although you can be certain there have been many atrocities experienced inside the walls of Inverary Castle, you also feel that it has been a great source of joy and safety for many, and continues to be so.
As you walk through each room, you find yourself stepping back in time, but also experiencing life as it is for the Ian Campbell family today. Room guides, translated into many different languages, allow you to indulge your curiosity. They also allowed my husband and I a short break from translating into French. We learned that the stately dining-room, as well as some of the other rooms, had been the filming set for some famous TV series, such as Downtown Abbey.
We also loved visiting the gardens, home to some ancient trees and unique plants and flowers. The only downside to our visit was that Gus wasn't able to join us. Luckily, it being Scotland and all(!), the weather was cool enough for us to leave him in the car with the windows cracked open.
The next day we took ourselves into Oban. It is known as the "Seafood Capital" of Scotland and the "Gateway to the Isles". From Oban you can take a ferry to the Isle of Mull, Isle of Kerrera and Tiree, among others. Unfortunately we didn't have time to journey further afield, but we'll certainly do this on a future trip.
As we were holidaying so remotely, we needed to stock up on some basic supplies, which Oban provided sufficiently. With a Boots and a Tesco all accessible from the centre of the town, we were able to get some food for evening meals and breakfast, and some vitamins for my cold-infested husband. The next point of call was lunch. We found another traditional pub; the Coasters Bistro & Bar; where 3/4 of us ordered a bowl of their delicious salmon linguine. This went down a treat. After lunch we hiked up to McCaig's tower; an historic landmark with panoramic views of the town. Despite looking a bit like a Roman ampitheatre, it was actually built in the late 19th century by local banker and philanthropist John Stuart McCaig. A plaque above the entrance records that the tower was:
ERECTED IN 1900 BYJOHN STUART McCAIG
ART CRITIC AND PHILOSPHICAL ESSAYIST AND BANKER, OBAN
If you dig into the history, you learn he wanted the building of his project to provide work for local men and it was constructed in fits and starts. The climb up to Battery Hill from the town centre is definitely more of a gruelling post-lunch constitutional, but well worth it!
We returned to Oban the next day or a trad music session which I'd found advertised on a local Facebook page. I didn't really know what to expect from this - only what my cousin had told me about other trad sessions he'd attended in Wales, where he's from. I took my guitar with me, hoping it would be needed.
The session was due to start at 3pm, and we arrived just on time. However, we shouldn't have been worried, as it took about fifteen to twenty minutes for other musicians to arrive. It was held in a pub called 'The Whisky Vaults', so of course a local whisky was in order. I hadn't intended on having whisky in the middle of the day, but they didn't have coffee, so....
First of all there were three musicians; two guitarists and a violinist. They started playing some traditional tunes. They sounded amazing. I thought that perhaps the event was more like a concert where these three people would perform throughout the afternoon, until a fourth musician arrived with a mandolin, and a little shyly and nervously asked if he could join them.
This was my cue. I got up, took my guitar and asked if I could butt in as well. Apparently it was 'the more the merrier'. So we introduced ourselves and settled into a wee jamming session. I was happy to find that I could follow along quite easily, since the violinist would regularly shout out the key she was playing in. She also let us know when she was about to finish a song with a brief verbal call, that we all quickly came to understand.
Over the course of the afternoon we were joined by several flutes and pipes, a couple more guitarists, a drummer and a pianist. I was asked if I could sing, I was brave and told them I could, so they accompanied me in 'Caledonia' and 'Wild Mountain Thyme'. It was so much fun. I think we played together for about three hours. I had a very sore arm the next day, and an open sore on my thumb.
All in all, we had a wonderful time in the Oban & Inverary area. Despite coming from the central belt/west of Scotland myself, I really believe that there is nowhere quite like the Highlands of Scotland for its scenery, folklore, history and culture. This is our second time in the region, and it won't be our last. If ever we were to win the lottery, I think we'd buy a house or some land up there and turn it into a B&B, or just make it our holiday home. One can but dream!
P.S photos courtesy of Max, who forever has the best eye for photos!
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