2 Bedroom Oban & Argyll cottages

Oban is a pretty resort town in the north-west of Scotland, overlooking the archipelago of the Inner Hebrides. As it is one of the largest and busiest inhabited areas between Helensburgh and Fort William, Oban often enjoys a seasonally-enhanced population during the Summer months. Oban Bay is a particularly fine horseshoe bay, with the islands of Kerrera and Mull giving extra shelter to the coastline. To the north lies the long, low-lying island of Lismore, with the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour. Oban is one of several locations to revel in the title of being the ‘Gateway to the Isles’, although it is, indeed, an ideal spot for visitors to use as a base for local sightseeing and other leisure activities in and around Argyll.

Things to do in Oban and ArgyllHillwalking, mountaineering, bird watching and fishing all draw visitors to Argyll each year, and it is true to say that the great outdoors is particularly spectacular in this part of Scotland. The main commercial enterprises in the local area centre upon tourism, fishing, crofting and whisky distilling. Oban was a quiet fishing village until the Glasgow to Oban railway opened in 1880. Now the largest port in north-west Scotland, Oban is a good setting-off point for fishing trips, ferries and pleasure boats. The Scottish Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary, and Oban Distillery offer entertainments variously to both younger and more mature visitors.

Top Destinations

Oban – The town has its fair share of notable buildings. The Cathedral of St Columba was designed by the world-famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, in the Neo-Gothic style, and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Argyll and the Isles.  Perched high on a hill overlooking the town, McCaig’s Tower is another prominent feature on the Oban skyline; this large folly was designed and constructed in 1897 as a lasting monument to a notable local family. The imposing circular structure is built of granite, and takes the form of a two-tiered amphitheatre of 94 arches, of around 200 metres in circumference. Based on the Colosseum in Rome, the death of the eponymous Mr McCaig meant that the tower remained unfinished, with just the outer walls standing tall. On the outskirts of the town the historic walls of Dunstaffnage Castle and Dunollie Castle sit in separate, yet equally well-appointed locations; although Dunollie is largely ruined and much smaller than Dunstaffnage, both castles are worth visiting.

Tarbert – This small fishing village, perched on the shores of Loch Fyne, Tarbert is home to an annual music festival each September. Whilst whales and basking sharks are now a rarer occurrence, dolphins and swans are still regularly seen in the harbour. The village is at a strategic point in the coastline, guarding the access to Kintyre and the Inner Hebrides.

Glencoe – A centre for hillwalking and mountaineering, Glencoe is the ideal base for exploring the picturesque, but often harsh beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Once the scene of the treacherous Glencoe massacre, a monument to the fallen MacDonalds now stands in the village, to remind visitors of the infamous event which took place in 1692. The high mountain ridges, peaks and waterfalls form some of the most famous scenery in the country.

Mull of Kintyre – On the south-western tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, overlooking the Antrim coast in the distance, and, on a clear day, with views as far as Malin Head in County Donegal, the Mull of Kintyre was immortalised by Paul McCartney’s 1977 hit song. Reached by a single-tracked road from the small village of Southend, the Mull has been an important landbridge throughout history, with spectacular sea views and wild moorland. Golden Eagles and other birds of prey, including hen harriers, peregrines, kestrels, buzzards and sparrow hawks are all spotted locally, amongst the unspoilt and dramatic moors and sea cliffs.

Rothesay – On the Isle of Bute, the town of Rothesay demonstrates some well-preserved Victorian seaside architecture. Reached by ferry from the Firth of Clyde, the town has some beautifully kept traditional Winter Gardens; nearby the Art Deco features of the Rothesay Pavilion were once favourably compared to the modernist glory of the Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion in East Sussex, and the Scottish building still attracts visitors as one of the finest architectural examples of Art Deco in Scotland.

Dunoon – A resort town on the Cowal Peninsula, Dunoon sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch. Two ferries operate from Gourock, with access to the national rail network and Glasgow, provided by a local train service, the Inverclyde Line.

Cairndow – Set in a idyllic position at the head of Loch Fyne, near the mouth of the River Kinglas, Cairndow boasts one of the oldest coaching inns in Scotland. The local Kilmorich Parish Church is one of only two Scottish churches to be built in a hexagonal shape, whilst to the south of the village the Ardkinglas estate and woodland gardens house an amazing collection of trees and shrubs originating from all corners of the world; several ‘champion trees’- including the largest conifer in Britain - plus some fine woodland trails and occasional sightings of red squirrels, all help to attract visitors to the estate throughout the year.