Oban on the west coast of Scotland

Saturday, 7 December 2013 - 01:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
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North Pier Ferry Terminal at night © Emil Goldberg/cc-by-sa-3.0

North Pier Ferry Terminal at night © Emil Goldberg/cc-by-sa-3.0

Oban (Scottish Gaelic meaning The Little Bay) is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,000. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can play host to up to 25,000 people. Oban occupies a beautiful setting in the Firth of Lorn. The bay is a near perfect horseshoe, protected by the island of Kerrera, and beyond Kerrera the Isle of Mull. To the north is the long low island of Lismore, and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour.

Prior to the 19th century, the town itself supported very few households, sustaining only minor fishing, trading, shipbuilding and quarrying industries, and a few hardy tourists.

The modern town of Oban grew up around the distillery which was founded there in 1794, and the town was raised to a burgh of barony in 1811 by royal charter. Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1814, the year in which he published his poem The Lord of the Isles, and interest in the poem brought many new visitors to the town. The arrival of the railways in the 1880s brought further prosperity, revitalising local industry and giving new energy to tourism. Shortly thereafter McCaig’s Tower, a folly and prominent local landmark, was constructed, as well as the ill-fated Oban Hydro.

View of Oban from Druim Mor © geograph.org.uk - Dorcas Sinclair/cc-by-sa-2.0 McCaig's Tower in the evening © Otter/cc-by-sa-3.0 © flickr.com - Greg Willis/cc-by-sa-2.0 Oban Distillery © Ayack/cc-by-sa-3.0 Oban Cathedral and Alexandra Hotel © geograph.org.uk - Chris Downer/cc-by-sa-2.0 North Pier Ferry Terminal at night © Emil Goldberg/cc-by-sa-3.0
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Oban Cathedral and Alexandra Hotel © geograph.org.uk - Chris Downer/cc-by-sa-2.0
The area around Oban is rich with attractions for tourists, from the dramatic scenery of the coast and mountains to the rich histories of the local castles and ancient religious sites. There are also many activities available for families and those interested in more active pursuits.

The town is an important ferry port, being Caledonian MacBrayne‘s busiest terminal. Oban is known as the Gateway to the Isles, with ferries sailing to the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Islay, Coll, Tiree, to Craignure on Mull, to Castlebay on Barra and to Lochboisdale on South Uist. In 2005 a new ferry terminal was opened, and in 2007 a second link span opened, allowing two vessels to load/unload at the same time.

Oban is also reachable by plane via Oban Airport at the village of North Connel. The airport is currently being upgraded, so commercial planes can operate life-line island services, using Oban as a hub.

Read more on Oban Tourism, Explore-Oban.com, Argyll and Bute Council, VisitScotland.com – Oban and Wikipedia Oban. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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