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Oban - town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

For other places with the same name, see Oban (disambiguation).

Oban (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Òban) is a town in Argyll and Bute on the northwest coast of Scotland. It's a transport hub and most visitors are passing through on the way to the Hebrides, only staying overnight if ferry / train schedules make that necessary; conversely, Hebrideans come here for shopping and other necessities. The main reason to regard Oban as a destination in its own right is for sea sports, including kayaking, scuba-diving, wildlife-watching and fishing. It also has great local sea food.

The main ferries from Oban are to Lismore, Mull, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree and Barra. There are also several little Islands of Loch Linnhe, so close to shore that they're effectively outlying districts of Oban, and that are therefore described on this page. These are Kerrara, Seil, Easdale, Luing and Scarba.

Oban Harbour from McCaig's Folly Sunset at Oban looking towards the islands of Kerrara and Mull

The TIC is Oban iCentre 📍 on North Pier. It's generally open Nov-Mar 10:00-17:00, Apr-Oct 09:00-18:00, Sunday hours shorter.

Get in

By plane

  • Glasgow Airport (IATA: GLA) is closest and has a good range of UK & European flights. Hiring a car, turn west onto M8 then cross Erskine Bridge to join A82 north. By public transport you could go into central Glasgow for the bus or train to Oban. But you can save some time by taking a taxi from the airport to Dumbarton Central station, where the Oban trains and buses stop: reckon £20-25. (They don't stop at Dumbarton East station.) Alternatively, one of the Glasgow - Oban buses each day runs direct via Glasgow Airport and is numbered 977 instead of 976 - if the timings suit this can be an easy way to get to the town.
  • By car Edinburgh Airport (IATA: EDI) doesn't take much longer and has more destinations. It's west of the city so you turn straight onto M9 north.
  • Oban Airport (IATA: OBN), 56.463611°, -5.4°. This has Hebrideanair flights from the islands of Coll, Colonsay, Islay and Tiree. This is basically an airborne school bus service, using BNF Islanders, with a 10-kg total baggage limit. Oban has no flights from the mainland UK network. 2019-06-25

By train

Trains from Glasgow Queen Street run up The West Highland Line to Oban, taking 3 hours 10 min, via Dumbarton Central and Crianlarich. They're every three hours or so M-Sa, with the first running north around 05:20 for 08:30, the last at 18:20 for 21:30. Southbound back to Glasgow the first is around 05:20, the last at 20:30. There's only 3 trains on Sunday.

By bus

Scottish Citylink Bus 976 runs from Glasgow Buchanan to Oban via Dumbarton, Arrochar (on Loch Lomond), Inveraray and Connel, taking 3 hours. Three buses run M-Sa, two on Sunday.

Bus 978 runs daily from Edinburgh and takes 4 hours via the airport, Grangemouth, Stirling, Doune, Callander, Crianlarich, Dalmally and Taynuilt.

Bus 918 runs twice M-Sa from Fort William (90 min), where it connects with the bus from Inverness.

The bus stop is at the ferry terminal.

By boat

Oban Ferry Terminal 📍 is the hub for Calmac car ferries to Lismore, Mull, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Barra. There's also a weekly ferry to Islay, but you're better sailing via Kennacraig. See the island pages for details of these and alternative routes. Oban ferry terminal is next to the railway station.

Booking ahead is always wise, and it's essential for caravans and motorhomes - these are not permitted to join the unbooked stand-by queue. You'd be sent away to make a booking, and if you couldn't sail that day, at least you'd have accommodation. This rule improves space in the queue but is more about capacity to shoehorn cars into odd spaces on the ferry, that couldn't possibly fit a caravan. The policy applies to all Calmac ports (except a few minor "turn up and go" routes) but is especially relevant to the major outbound port of Oban.

Also with a caravan or motorhome, in summer be prepared at check-in to show a pitch reservation at your destination, else you may be turned away. All the Scottish islands have a problem in summer with visitor vehicles camping illegally on the verges and passing places.

See "Get around" for routes to the nearby islands in Loch Linnhe.

Dunstaffnage Marina 📍 is the port for small private craft, on A85 five miles north of town. Cruises of the Hebrides often depart from here.

Get around

Most sights in town can be reached on foot, but some accommodation is up a fairly steep hill.

West Coast Motors run buses in and around Oban. The only one you're likely to use is the 005 / 405, which runs north hourly M-Sa to Dunbeg (a one-mile walk to Dunstaffnage), Connel bridge, Oban Airport, Benderloch and Barcaldine.

Kerrera: Calmac ferries sail from Gallanach, the jetty 3 miles south of Oban, to Kerrara, taking only 5 min. There are over a dozen ferries daily, year-round; mid-morning and mid-afternoon they're every 30 min. Visitor cars are not carried and you don't need one; bikes are free but space is limited.

Seil Island is 20 miles south of Oban and connected by a bridge. A lane branches off to Ellenabeich (Bus 418 runs here from Oban four times M-Sa), with a ferry to Easdale. From the south tip of Seil a car ferry makes the 220-yard crossing to the island of Luing every 30 min. Boat trips sometimes venture beyond, to Scarba and into the straits, site of the seething whirlpool of Corryvreckan. At the right state of tide, its roar can be heard ten miles away. Just beyond is the north tip of Jura, but there's no transport across the straits from here, you have to get in via Islay.

See

St Columba's Cathedral

  • McCaig’s Tower, Duncraggan Rd PA34 5DP, 56.4157°, -5.4692°. 24 / 7. John Stuart McCaig (1823-1902), a local banker, was aiming for something like the Colosseum in Rome. Only the circular shell, dominating the view for miles around, was completed by the time of his death, so within is simply a public garden and picnic spot where the pipe band sometimes plays. The grand interior and heroic statues of himself and family never happened. Free 2019-08-16
  • Dunollie Castle, Dunollie House (a mile north of town off Ganavan Rd), 56.4266°, -5.4844°. Apr-Oct: M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00. The castle is just a crumbling stump, but there are pleasant gardens and a small museum. Adult £6 2019-08-16
  • Dunstaffnage Castle, Dunbeg (on coast 5 miles north of town, take bus to Dunbeg), 56.45471°, -5.43763°. Apr-Sep: daily 09:30-17:30, Nov-Mar: Sa-W 10:00-16:00. Stout, partly ruined castle dating to 13th century, with nearby chapel of similar date. The 16th-century gatehouse is the residence of the hereditary captain - he's still required to stay here three nights a year. Adult £6 2019-08-17
  • War & Peace Museum, Old Oban Times Bldg, Corran Esplanade (by North Pier), 56.41584°, -5.47363°. Mar Apr & Nov: daily 10:00-16:00, May-Oct: M-Th 10:00-18:00, F-Su 10:00-16:00. Museum describing Oban's role in wartime and peacetime. Free, donation 2019-08-16
  • St Columba's Cathedral, 200 Corran Esplanade, 56.419444°, -5.478889°. The Roman Catholic Cathedral is prominent on the Esplanade. It was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (who designed the iconic red telephone box) and built in Neo-Gothic style between 1932 and 1959. It's the more interesting of Oban's two cathedrals; its predecessor was St Moluag's on the Isle of Lismore, nowadays a Church of Scotland parish church. 2019-08-16
  • St John's Cathedral (Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, Ard-eaglais Eòin an Diadhair), 129 George St, 56.41670°, -5.47349°. Scottish Episcopal (Anglican) Cathedral hidden among the shops on George Street. Building started in 1863 and continued in several phases but lack of funds resulted in the present odd layout, with steel girders propping up unfinished work. 2019-08-16
  • Arduaine Garden, Arduaine (A816 20 miles south of Oban), 56.235°, -5.561°. Mar-Jan: daily 09:30-16:00 (closed for repairs until 31 Aug 2022). Gardens and woodlands in the care of National Trust for Scotland, a riot of rhododendrons in early summer. Adult £8, concession £6, NTS / NT free 2022-08-07 Castle Stalker
  • Castle Stalker (Caisteal an Stalcaire). A privately-owned four-storey tower house or keep. Tours may be available through the website. It is set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich, an inlet off Loch Linnhe. The islet is accessible with difficulty from the shore at low tide. The name "Stalker" comes from the Gaelic Stalcaire, meaning "hunter" or "falconer". The island castle is one of the best preserved medieval tower houses to survive in western Scotland and is a Category A listed building. The castle was used as one of the locations for the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail as "Castle Aaarrrrgghh". Your Holy Grail will be to find parking nearby. The Castle Stalker View Cafe on the A828 has a distant view of the castle and a carpark for customers. You could buy a tea and walk down the lane just to the south of the cafe to the shore opposite the castle. About further north on the A828 is a free car park beside a paved footpath that has a pleasant 30-min walk to the shore opposite the castle. 2022-10-08

Do

  • Oban Distillery, Stafford St PA34 5NH (near TIC), +44 1631 572004, oban.distillery@diageo.com. Daily Dec-Feb: 12:00-16:30, Mar Apr Oct Nov: 09:30-17:00, May-Sep 09:30-19:30. Scotch whisky distillery founded in 1794, now part of Diageo. Frequent tours commended by reviewers. If they're booked out on the website try phoning, they may have availability. Standard tour £12, one hour 2019-08-16
  • Boat trips to Mull, Iona and Fingal's Cave are run by West Coast Tours (formerly Bowman's), Caledonian MacBrayne, Turus Mara and Staffa Tours. The West Coast Tours "Three Islands Tour" cost £78 in 2022.
  • Boat cruises to St Kilda and other remote Hebridean places sail from Dunstaffnage Marina. These are large live-aboard boats on 7-10 day itineraries. (Day trips use small boats from Skye or Harris, but it's too far for them to venture from the mainland.) Operators include Hebrides Cruises, Majestic Line and St Hilda Sea Adventures. It's best to reserve well in advance.
  • Diving: Puffin Dive Centre is at Port Gallanach PA34 4QH, south of town near the ferry pier for Kerrara. You'll want a drysuit, though in summer a chunky wetsuit may suffice.
  • Isle of Kerrera 📍 is reached by a short ferry ride from Gallanach south of town. From the landing pier are two hiking trails: south with Gylen Castle and north with Hutcheson's Monument.
  • Sea Kayak Oban, 8 Argyll Street PA34 5SG (off main street behind Boots), +44 1631 565310, info@seakayakoban.com. W-M 10:00-16:00. Kayak outfitter leads daily tours and also multi-day trips & courses. You can paddle right out of the harbour or rent a trolley and take your kayak on the ferries. £75 per day 2019-08-16
  • Seafari Adventures, Easdale PA34 4TB (20 miles south of Oban, follow B844 onto Seil Island), 56.29423°, -5.65011°. Daily 08:00-20:00. Trips by high-speed RIB around the islands. 2019-08-16
  • Oban Games & Argyllshire Gathering are held at Mossfield Park Oban on the fourth Thursday in August, with the next on Th 24 Aug 2023. Lorne Highland Games at the same venue are no longer held.

Eat

Drink

Oban is the subject of an ode by the great McGonagall - see Dundee for his career and other poetic gems. That's mentioned here because it will help if you also chug some whisky: before reading him, after, and even better instead of.

Sleep

Dunstaffnage Castle

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect

As of July 2021, Oban town centre has 4G from EE and Vodafone, but a poor signal from Three or O2, and there's little coverage further out. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

Oban

Postal code:PA34Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:Europe/LondonPopulation:8,490Coordinates:56.41, -5.47

Argyll and Bute

2nd-order administrative division

Scotland

Primary administrative division

United Kingdom

gov.uk
Population:66.5 MDial code:+44Currency:Pound (GBP)Voltage:230 V, 50 Hz