It rained from the moment we left home and barely let up. We actually thought of postponing the trip but it’s not too far away and it was a present and well, what the hell, we’ve got waterproofs.
I’ve been in Oban countless times, mostly work related or just passing through and grabbing food so it was interesting to just be here.
It’s kind of Dumbarton by the sea, although Dumbarton is also kind of by the sea, Oban is actually hanging over the water, so it wins the “by the sea” contest by a good margin.
We checked into the Columba Hotel after nabbing the last parking space, this wee bit of good timing decided we were staying in town too, it was that or cooncil rates parking all night.
There was much joy inside the old hotel building, the old lift with the folding doors was still active. Oh what fun watching the ancient hand painted floor numbers pass by as you slowly rattle up the Victorian brick lift shaft.
Yes, we used the lift an unnecessary numbers of times.
The cloud broke for a bit as we wandered the ghost town that is an Oban winter evening. It was very pretty if very cold and the water was dark and choppy.
A couple of ferries came and went, but passengers were few.
The shops around the harbour are diverse but closing for the day, we’d have a better look in the morning and bring back a bunch of tourist tat. Magic fun.
Dinner was in a little bistro on the ground floor, accessible internally from the hotel but kind of a separate in atmosphere and we had mixed results with the food. It don’t think they could be arsed on a quiet night like this, Linda had a plate of sauce and I had stuff in my sauce. She didn’t want to swap, I think it was the sauce. All of it.
We had a bottle and glasses left for us in the room and McCaigs Towers lights twinkling through the raindrops running down the window. Early night.
It was howling in the morning, wind and constant rain. So we went to the beach after the shops.
I can’t remember even being at Ganavan Bay before but it’s definitely worth a detour to see the ugly expensive houses next to the carpark and wonder what will happen when all the homes are either second homes or are filled with wealthy retirees and the young folk are all in Glasgow. Whose serving you for minimum wage in the supermarket now eh?
It’s a lovely bay though, beautiful sand and rocks with wild water pushing in from the west. Could hardly walk straight in it the wind was so strong.
And no swings for Linda. So sad, so sad.
We were wringing back at the motor, any plans for exploring were cancelled without debate and we drove. The plan was Glen Coe, swing back the long way. But we only got as far as the Castle Stalker cafe to dry out and refuel. Nice wee place, was here with Holly a couple of years back.
It was battering down now and the thoughts were getting back down the road so we doubled back, windscreen wipers on fast mode.
Every burn and river we saw was white and churning, every gully high on a hill was now a waterfall. That was fast.
We shot past the Cruachan visitor centre and with a brief exchange decided to spin round and go back for a wee look.
I have over the years decried Scotland’s approach to visitors, I have often found that the indigenous people I deal with in tourist situations just can’t be arsed, but on my travels with Linda, I’m finding more positives. Today especially.
We went in and looked around, the lassie approached and said hello and asked if we had booked a tour. We hadn’t, we just dropped in. She looked in the book and they were full but for one space which I thought would be great for Linda, I’d been years ago and but she’d never seen inside the mountain.
No go, we play as a team or not at all, so the lassie pointed out other stuff and sent us into the building for a look and a cuppa.
It’s actually really interesting in the centre and we worked out way round actually reading the display before heading to the cafe. Then a voice “Ah, you’re still here, do you want to go on the tour?”.
There had a been a family no show and rather than take the next folk from the queue at the door, she’d come to find us.
I found that very thoughtful and I’m ashamed to say I was surprised too given my years of experience on the receiving end of Scottish tourist service.
We were delighted and were soon on the transit minibus going into the heart of Cruachan. It was magic, we really enjoyed it, the guides were friendly and ready to banter too.
Tourism done right from start to finish.
The weather had worsened since we stopped. Loch Awe had risen so high that Kilchurn Castle was very much an island again and the waters of the River Orchy lapped at the roadside all the way past Dalmally until the rise up towards Strone Hill. It was bloody scary, we never even stopped for one photie.
Over the pass the Rover Lochy had enveloped both the land and the railway. Never seen it this high.
We had to stop at the falls of Falloch, we knew what it would be like and the roads here were fine.
Never seen it like this, a boiling pot fed by a thundering torrent in a cloud of steam. It was deafening loud and our faces were wet from the spray.
We were glad to be home safe, it was exciting, but a little scary at times.
I’d swap it for lockdown any time.
