Oban

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Oban

Oban (An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic meaning The Little Bay) is a resort

Resort

A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
town

Town

A town is a type of human settlement ranging from a few to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition....
within the Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 Council areas of Scotland; and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead....
council area of Scotland

Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh

Helensburgh

Helensburgh is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gare Loch....
and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban occupies a beautiful setting in the Firth of Lorn. Oban Bay is a near perfect horseshoe bay, protected by the island of Kerrera

Kerrera

Kerrera is a island in the Scotland Inner Hebrides, close to the town of Oban. In 2005, it has a population of about 35 people and is linked to the mainland by passenger ferry on the Gallanach Road....
, and beyond Kerrera is Mull

Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland of Argyll and Bute....
.

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Oban (An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic meaning The Little Bay) is a resort

Resort

Town

Argyll and Bute

Scotland

Helensburgh

Kerrera

Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland of Argyll and Bute....
. To the north is the long low island of Lismore

Lismore, Scotland

Lismore Island is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The fertile, low-lying island was once a major centre of Celtic Christianity, with a monastery founded by Saint Moluag and the seat of the Bishop of Argyll....
, and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour.

Oban "The Gateway to the Isles" has a large Gaelic

Gaelic

Gaelic as an adjective means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the individual languages....
speaking population. All road and street signs are translated into the Scottish language.

Attractions in Oban include the Waterfront Centre, the Cathedral of St Columba, the Oban Distillery

Oban Distillery

Oban Distillery is a whisky distillation in the Scotland west coast port of Oban. It is one of the few distilleries to be built, in 1794, prior to the actual town which sprung up later in the craggy harbor surrounding the distillery....
, Dunollie Castle

Dunollie Castle

Dunollie Castle is a small ruin located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast Scotland. It commands a view of the town, harbour and, outlying isles....
, Dunstaffnage Castle

Dunstaffnage Castle

Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies N.N.E. of Oban, situated on a platform of Conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea....
and McCaig's Tower

McCaig's Tower

McCaig's Tower is a prominent folly on the hillside overlooking Oban in Argyll, Scotland. It is built of Bonawe granite taken from the quarries across Airds Bay, on Loch Etive, from Muckairn, with a circumference of about 200 metres with two-tiers of 94 Lancet arches ....
, which dominates the town's skyline. Oban is an excellent base from which to explore the sights of Kilmartin Glen

Kilmartin Glen

Kilmartin Glen is an area in Argyll not far from Kintyre, which has one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland....
.

The Oban Tourist Information Centre, operated under VisitScotland

VisitScotland

VisitScotland is Scotland's national Tourism in Scotland government agency. It is a Scottish public body, based in Edinburgh, with branch offices in Inverness and London....
, is located in the centre of the town in Argyll Square. It is housed in an old Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterianism church , decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
building. In 2004, the Oban Tourist Information Centre was the busiest tourist office in Scotland, miles ahead of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

History

1940 to today

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Oban was a busy port used by merchant and Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
had a signal station near Ganavan which is now a private house. Also near Ganavan was a anti-submarine indicator loop station which detected any surface or submarine vessels between Oban, Mull and Lismore. There was a controlled minefield in the Sound of Kerrera which was controlled from a building near the caravan site at Gallanach. There is one surviving air raid shelter in the centre of Oban.

There was also a Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
flying boat

Flying boat

A flying boat is a specialised form of aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water, using its fuselage as a floating Hull . Such aircraft are sometimes stabilised on water by underwing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage....
base at Ganavan and on Kerrera. The airfield at North Connel

North Connel

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. A Sector Operations Room was built near the airfield and after the war this was extended to become the Royal Observer Corps

Royal Observer Corps

The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
Group HQ.

Oban was also important during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state of conflict, tension and competition that existed between a number of world powers, including the United States, the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, France, United Kingdom and those countries' respective allies from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s....
because the first Transatlantic Telephone Cable

Transatlantic telephone cable

A transatlantic telephone cable is a submarine communications cable that carries telephone traffic under the Atlantic Ocean.When the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858 by businessman Cyrus West Field, it operated for only a month; subsequent attempts in 1865 and 1866 were more successful....
(TAT-1

TAT-1

TAT-1 was the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban, Scotland and Clarenville, Newfoundland between 1955 and 1956....
) came ashore at Gallanach Bay and this carried the "Hot Line" between the US and USSR Presidents. There was protected accommodation for the cable equipment at Gallanach Bay.

Culture

In 2003, Oban hosted the 100th Royal National Mod

Royal National Mod

The Royal National Mod, , is the annual national mod , a festival of Scotland Scottish Gaelic language song, arts and culture. It was founded by and run by An Comunn Gaidhealach....
(a Gaelic

Gaels

The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man. They are speakers of the Goidelic languages languages ? Irish language, Scottish Gaelic and Manx language....
festival), in anticipation of which many signs were replaced with bilingual versions. Not only was Oban the venue for the 100th Mod but it also hosted the centenary Mod in 1992 (the year it became Royal). The reason for the different dates for the 100th and the centenary being stoppages for the wars. Oban is considered the home of The Royal National Mod as the Mod was first held in Oban in 1892 with 10 competitors on a Saturday Afternoon. The 2009 Mod is to again be held in Oban.

The town boasts a two-screen cinema

Movie theater

A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre, film theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing film ....
. Oban has also been used as a backdrop to several films including Ring of Bright Water
Ring of Bright Water

Ring of Bright Water is a feature film starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna in a story about a Londoner and an otter living on the Scottish coast....
and Morvern Callar
Morvern Callar

Morvern Callar was the debut novel by Scottish author Alan Warner, first published in 1995. Narrated in the first person, it tells the story of Morvern, who wakes up near Christmas to find her boyfriend dead under the tree:...
. See .

Sport

The local amateur football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
team is "Oban Saints

Oban Saints F.C.

Oban Saints Amateur Football Club are a football club from the town of Oban, in the Lorne, Argyll and Bute district of Argyll in Scotland. Formed in 1960 they currently play in the Scottish Amateur Football League....
" with a small stadium situated in Mossfield. However, shinty

Shinty

Shinty is a team sport played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played almost exclusively in the Scottish Highlands of Scotland, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas where Scottish Highlanders mi...
is a more popular game locally, with two major teams, Oban Camanachd

Oban Camanachd

Oban Camanachd is one of the oldest Camanachd clubs currently playing in the Shinty leagues of Scotland, they are currently competing in the Premier League....
and Oban Celtic

Oban Celtic

Oban Celtic is a shinty team from Oban, Argyll, Scotland. The club won South Division Two in 2008, marking success after several years of decline....
, playing in the town. The Oban Times runs a popular "Spot the Shinty Ball" competition each week. Oban also boasts Oban Cricket Club that was formed in 2003 and play their home fixtures in nearby Taynuilt. The Highlanders

The Highlanders (professional wrestling)

The Highlanders were a Scotland professional wrestling tag team consisting of kayfabe cousins Robbie and Rory McCallister who were best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on the WWE Raw WWE Brand Extension....
are a WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly traded, privately controlled integrated arts and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales....
wrestling tag-team originally from (and billed) Oban. Scuba Diving is also readily available around Oban. There are many dive operators running services in and around the area. The wreck diving is spectacular, with the Sound of Mull offering some truly world-class dive sites. Although weather and visibility can be variable the local geography means that a dive somewhere can aways be achieved.

The largest weekend chess congress is held in Oban each year in the Royal Hotel. It usually takes place the last weekend of November or the first weekend of December and brings 150 - 200 players to Oban along with their families. The event is the one that most players look forward to with the warm friendly welcome and extra events that are put on.

Exchange

Oban High School and Scotland High School (located in sister city of Laurinburg, North Carolina

Laurinburg, North Carolina

Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville, North Carolina and is home to St....
) share an exchange programme which enlightens many students on the different and similar cultures within the two countries. The two schools have hosts families of 20 students (10 from each) which share experiences for two weeks in the summer (Oban) and 2 weeks in the autumn (Laurinburg). The exchange was expanded in 2007 to include a participating law enforcement officer from each community. The law enforcement officer exchange is during the same time as the schools' exchange.

Churches

Oban is served by Kilmore & Oban Parish Church of the Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterianism church , decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. There are three church buildings in the united parish, namely at Glencruitten Road and the white church (opened in 1957) at Corran Esplanade in the town, as well as Kilmore Church. The minister (since 2007) is the Rev Dugald Cameron, who formerly served at St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow

St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow

St. John's Renfield Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving Kelvindale in the west end of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Glasgow....
.

The mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles

Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh....
is St Columba's Cathedral at the north end of the Esplanade. The Cathedral was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

Giles Gilbert Scott

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Order of Merit , Royal Institute of British Architects was an England architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station....
and constructed between 1932 and 1959.

The Scottish Episcopal Church

Scottish Episcopal Church

The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian denomination in Scotland and a member of the Anglican Communion, although it itself has pre-Anglican origins....
is represented in Oban by the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine

St John's Cathedral, Oban

St John's Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church, located in the town of Oban....
, situated in George Street. It is one of two cathedrals of the united Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (Episcopal), the other being the Cathedral of the Isles

Cathedral of the Isles

The Cathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in the town of Millport, Isle of Cumbrae on the Isle of Cumbrae....
in Millport

Millport

Millport may refer to:*Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland*Millport, Alabama, a small town in Alabama, United States...
.

There are several other churches in the town, including the Free Church of Scotland

Free Church of Scotland

The Free Church of Scotland is the name of three historic Presbyterianism denominations in Scotland, two of which exist today:* The Free Church of Scotland was the name of that part of the Scottish Church that seceded from the Church of Scotland in the Disruption of 1843....
in Rockfield Road, the Baptist Church in Albany Street, Salvation Army

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the Christian Church. It has a quasi-military structure and it was founded in 1865 in Great Britian as the East London Christian Mission by William Booth and Catherine Booth....
in Stevenson Street and the Associated Presbyterian Church

Associated Presbyterian Churches

The Associated Presbyterian Churches is a small Scotland Christian denomination , formed in 1989 from part of the community of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland....
in Campbell Street. The Congregational Church in Tweedale Street was built in 1880.

Transport

Oban lies at the western end of the A85 road

A85 road

The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before terminating at Perth, Scotland, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge....
. It also has a railway station

Oban railway station

Oban railway station is a railway station serving Oban in Scotland. It is the terminus of one branch of the highly scenic West Highland Line north of ....
where a number of First ScotRail

First ScotRail

First ScotRail is the FirstGroup train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London....
services operate to and from Glasgow Queen Street

Glasgow Queen Street railway station

Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, and is the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini, and the third-busiest station in Scotland It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to George Square....
on a daily basis. The town is also an important ferry port

Port

||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo. They are usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake....
, being Caledonian MacBrayne's busiest terminal. Oban is known as the Gateway to the Isles, with ferries

Caledonian MacBrayne

Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast....
sailing to the islands of Lismore

Lismore, Scotland

Colonsay

Colonsay is an island in the Scotland Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Isle of Mull and has an area of . It is the ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeill....
, Islay

Islay

Islay , a Scotland island, known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" , is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. It lies in Argyll just to the west of Jura, Scotland and around north of the Irish coast, which can be seen on a clear day....
, Coll

Coll

Coll is a small island, west of Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for Breachacha Castle....
, Tiree

Tiree

Tiree is an island in the Scotland Inner Hebrides southwest of Coll. It has an area of and a population of around 800 people. The low-lying island is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, are the main sources of employment for the islanders....
, Craignure

Craignure

Craignure is a village and the main ferry port on the Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.The village is located around Craignure Bay, on Mull's east coast....
on Mull

Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland of Argyll and Bute....
, and to Castlebay

Castlebay

The village of Castlebay is the main village on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay....
in Barra

Barra

The Isle of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland....
and Lochboisdale

Lochboisdale

Lochboisdale is the main population centre on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.The town profited from the herring boom in the 19th century, and a steamer pier was built in 1880....
in South Uist

South Uist

South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeology interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummy have been found....
. In 2005 a brand new modern ferry terminal was opened. In 2007 a second link span opened now allowing two of the vessels to load/unload at the same time.

Scottish Citylink

Scottish Citylink

Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express Coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland . The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985....
operate services from Glasgow's Buchanan bus station

Buchanan bus station

Buchanan Bus Station is the main bus terminus in Glasgow for journeys between the city and other towns in United Kingdom and international journeys....
several times a day, and during the summer a service from Dundee via Perth is also operated.

West Coast Motors

West Coast Motors

West Coast Motors is a Coach and bus operator based in Campbeltown in Argyll. The founding of the company dates back to 1921. As well as the Campbeltown HQ, the company has bases in Oban, Dunoon, Rothesay, Argyll and Bute and Glasgow....
operate many local services and also coach links as far south as Campbeltown

Campbeltown

Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, located by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran - this form is still used in Gaelic....
and as far north as Fort William.

Blue Bus operate a return service once a day from Livingston in West Lothian.

Oban is also reachable by plane via Oban Airport

Oban Airport

Oban Airport is located northeast of Oban, near the village of North Connel, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Operated by Argyll and Bute council thanks to recent upgrading it has now gained CAA licencing as a commercial airport....
at the village of North Connel

North Connel

North Connel is a village situated on the north side of Loch Etive in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Just to the east of the village is the Connel Bridge and Oban Airport is just west....
. The airport is currently being upgraded (costing some £4.2 million), so commercial planes can operate life-line island services, using Oban as a hub.

In 2007 a further airlink was created between Oban and west-central Scotland with a Seaplane service making it possible to fly from Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands....
city centre's Seaplane Terminal

Glasgow Seaplane Terminal

Glasgow Seaplane Terminal is a new seaplane airport terminal in Glasgow, Scotland. It opened in August 2007.This terminal is now known as Glasgow City Airport...
off the Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the eighth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
into the bay in Oban.

Town twinning

Laurinburg
Laurinburg, North Carolina

Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville, North Carolina and is home to St....
, North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....

Gorey
Gorey

Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, situated beside the main N11 road Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the Gorey railway station along the same route....
, County Wexford
County Wexford

County Wexford is a maritime county in the southeast of Republic of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. It takes its name from the principal town, Wexford, founded by Vikings and named by them 'Waesfjord', meaning 'inlet or bay of the mud-flats' in the Old Norse language....

External links

(local newspaper)

Oban

History

1940 to today

Culture

Sport

Exchange

Churches

Transport

Town twinning

See also

External links

Further reading