Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Recomend a hotel/things to do in Oban?
  • IHN
    Full Member

    I’m taking my folks up North in May, we’ll be staying in Oban for a couple of nights so I can meet up with a mate who’s doing his final Munro on one of the days.

    So, I need a nice hotel to stay in for two nights, and ideas for stuff my folks can do when I nick the car for the day. They’re 70, so general mooching about and museumy/stately homey ideas needed.

    dh
    Free Member

    Ferry someplace for the day?

    avdave2
    Full Member

    Kerrera

    Nice for a walk or a ride.

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    ojom
    Free Member

    Stayed here once http://www.manorhouseoban.com/ – it was good in a sort of everyonelesehereisalotolderwithbettercarsthanus type of way.

    Brekkie was nice.

    Failing that, this is nice too http://www.eriska-hotel.co.uk/ stayed in a cottage which was excellent. We were working there on the Isle at the time so the accomodation was free.

    snipswhispers
    Free Member

    Dunstaffnage castle is about 4 miles north of Oban, and there should be a sea-life centre near Oban (I vaguely recall).

    Otherwise, as an 80 mile round trip, go south to Cairnbaan and the Crinan canal (v. picturesque) with various places to stop on the way back including some national trust gardens (‘Arduaine’) or return via Loch Awe.

    Best of luck.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    Boat trip around the various islands and stuff? Google throws up a good few wildlife spotting trips

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    My Parents live in Oban, The car is pretty necessary to get about around there, but if its just for the day there is plenty to be getting on with in and around the town.

    Distillery http://www.oban.org.uk/listing/Oban-Distillery

    Kerrera is a good shout and there is a restaurant over there now who pick you up from the bay and take you over and bring you back.

    Seal tours

    Taxi to Ganavan for the beach would be cheap.

    just a thought…

    http://www.obanbedandbreakfast.org/ fantastic ride out the back of here over to kilchrenan

    😉

    Andy

    geologist
    Free Member

    Ferry across to Mull for the day ?

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Mull as said already – even Iona by ferry/bus if that is thier thing, but long (slow) travel.
    Also try the smokehouse at Inverawe as a wee trip.
    Bridge over the Atlantic and Isle of Seil is ace, lunch at Croabh Haven?

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    I always used to like watching all the water disappear out of the harbour as the Mull(?) ferry came in, then raced back in swamping anyone who wasn’t paying attention.

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    Inverrary is nice for a stroll, and has a castle and a jail for visiting. Might be too far from Oban for you, but perhaps on the way up?

    rkk01
    Free Member

    IIRC there is a fantastic river walk on the way to Oban. The schist bedrock has been sculpted out into a series of bowls and cauldrons. Glen Orchy (?). Doubtless someone will correct if necessary!

    juanking
    Full Member

    Goto the Seafood Temple for dinner. It’s still one of the best places we have ever eaten. It’s unpretentious with very fine food and is a converted Victorian toilet block to boot. Try it, it really is excellent.

    cove123
    Full Member

    Rkk01, +1 for River Orchy, +1 For Inverary

    Try the Coast resturnt for a nice meal, Castle Stalker cafe on the way to Fort Bill after doing Sea Life Center

    Robins Nest in Taynuilt best home made cakes, think the ferry up glen Etive still goes from Taynuilt, seals, Eagles etc

    My Parents live in Kilchrenan nice little village on Loch Awe, nice round trip on SINGLETRACK road from Oban!!!! (passing places and timber lorries)

    Kilmartin/Lochgilphead/Crian Canal ok to visit

    MSP
    Full Member

    Some nice sea kayaking in the area.

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    My Parents live in Kilchrenan nice little village on Loch Awe, nice round trip on SINGLETRACK road from Oban!!!! (passing places and timber lorries)

    I suggested this from the other way round! as my parents live on the other end of that exact road which comes out just south of Oban in Kilmore on Musdale road.

    http://www.obanbedandbreakfast.org/ fantastic ride out the back of here over to kilchrenan

    IHN
    Full Member

    Cheers all. Any other hotel recommendations? We’ll need to stay in the town itself, as I will be disappearing with the car for the day and they’ll be transport-less.

    peterfile
    Free Member

    Some nice sea kayaking in the area.

    Given the weather last weekend, it might be a Shackleton style adventure 🙂

    Mounty_73
    Full Member

    A few of us of heading up there in June, so I will be checking out some of the above too 🙂

    samuri
    Free Member

    Inverrary is nice for a stroll, and has a castle and a jail for visiting

    Seconded. That was a good day out when we stayed in Oban. We also found out Emma Thompson lives there when we bumped into her.

    Dolcered
    Full Member

    I spent all my childhood holidays in Oban during the “Glasgow Fair”, the caravan site at Ganavan sands is now a load of posh houses.

    Take a drive up to McCaigs tower (pretty steep walk), nice view of the town.

    There are a few very central hotels, the Caledonian (poor parking if i remember rightly) its near the ferry terminal and the Royal Hotel, no idea if they are any good though. There are plenty of B&B’s along the sea front. Have a good trip.

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    My parents BnB is 10 minutes out of Oban, there is a bus service and taxis 😉

    Also my dad can show you the road to kilchrenan 😉

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    Always has a buzz around the pier but that aside I’m not a big fan of Oban town itself. We stayed here the last time we were up:

    http://www.oysterinn.co.uk/

    Food was good and the Falls of Lora / Otters are a constantly changing attraction just 2 mins from the front door. They have both rooms and bunkhouse accommodation. The bunkhouse rooms are good (en suite / walk in showers etc)

    Your folks will probably qualify for cheap train travel – again the train station at Connel takes you quickly to Oban also Taynuilt (Bonawe Furness)and Cruachan (power station)are also worth a visit.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Cheers all. Any other hotel recommendations? We’ll need to stay in the town itself, as I will be disappearing with the car for the day and they’ll be transport-less.

    😯

    Day trip to Balamory then would be my recommendation

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    Although don’t ask to go to Balamory… its not real. 😉

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Although don’t ask to go to Balamory… its not real.

    😥

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    it’s there, its just called tobermory 😉 not all is lost.

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    This is maybe a Dad thing, but if there’s an interest in Awesome Engineering, Ben Cruachan is about 20 miles away. Impressive because of the 440 MW hydro electric power stationbuilt inside the mountain. A bus takes you on a 1km trip into (yup, inside) the mountain. When you see the turbine hall, you expect hear the Bond theme and see guys in beige boiler suits abseiling down the side.
    fantastic scenery and an osprey nest in the mobile phone tower on the other side of the loch.

    BalamoryTobermory’s nice, and the pub where that pic above was taken used to be pretty good, nice day, sit outside enjoy the nothing really happening vibe.

    Ferry to Iona (ferry to Mull then drive to Fionnphort(?) is good. car on ferry tends to be expensive, there might be a bus from craignure to Fionnphort The abbey was a bit of a ddisappointment and I wish i’d taken the option of a horse drawn trip round the island (few years back mind, so maybe not there any more). There were dolphins spotted, so the ferry driver took us all to have a look.

    passtherizla
    Free Member

    Ben Cruacahan also has an awesome east to west circular route around the peaks take about a day though.

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    it’s there, its just called tobermory not all is lost.

    And the copious amounts of overpriced Balamory tat are real.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    sea kayaking? OH YEAH! One of the best places in Britain. Speak to http://www.seafreedomkayak.co.uk/

    allyharp
    Full Member

    Sticking to the fact that your parents won’t have their own transport, and are 70 so probably won’t be keen on sea kayaking…

    There is a small museum in Oban itself dedicated to how Oban was during WW2. Was quite interesting for 30-45 mins when I was last there. No idea what else could be done to pass the time though!

    islander
    Full Member

    Day trip to Mull if weather any good. Bus to Iona, leave Oban 10ish rtn 6ish. Lot of traveling but Iona on a good day stunning. Day trip to Tobermory, shorter day possibly. Day trip to Duart Castle. Possible also to do trips to Staffa. Also possible to do non landing cruise to Mull, just under 2 hours for this.
    Staying in Oban there is the open top bus tour taking in various sights in the area.

    dewydd
    Free Member

    Other hotels to consider include the Caledonian (bang in the middle of town next to the buses, train, ferries and taxis) and the Oban Bay (a bit further out along the Esplanade but with a cracking view over the bay).
    Things to do that don’t require a car – many of which have been said so sorry if I’m repeating – day trip to Mull (and then either Iona or Tobermory), small boat trips to see the seals, open top bus tour, war and peace museum, for the stately home thing try Dunollie House (short taxi trip probably required), cinema (if it re-opens in time), Scottish show in Skippnish Ceilidh house or there maybe something on in the Corran Halls depending on which weekend you’re up here.

    duckman
    Full Member

    I spent a new year there in 1999, I went with fond memories of childhood holidays…It was rather different after dark. Local yoofs were knocking lumps out of each other and then we rather foolishly bought tickets for a dance in one of the hotels right in the centre of town on the 1st. Which appeared to descend into a fight set to music as the drink flowed.

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