Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
McCaig's Tower
(cnr Laurel & Duncraggan Rds; 24hr)
Crowning the hill above the town centre is the
Victorian folly known as McCaig's Tower. Its construction was commissioned in 1890 by
local worthy John Stuart McCaig, an art critic, philosophical essayist and banker, with the
philanthropic intention of providing work for unemployed stonemasons.
To reach it on foot, make the steep climb up Jacob's Ladder (a flight of stairs) from
Argyll St and then follow the signs. The views over the bay are worth the effort.
HISTORIC BUILDING
Oban Distillery
(
01631-572004;
www.discovering-distilleries.com
;
Stafford St; tour £7;
9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat Easter-Oct, plus noon-5pm Sun Jul-Sep, closed Sat & Sun Nov-Dec
& Feb-Easter, closed Jan)
This distillery has been producing Oban single malt whisky
since 1794. There are guided tours available (last tour begins one hour before closing
time), but even without a tour, it's still worth a look at the small exhibition in the foyer.
DISTILLERY
MUSEUM
War & Peace Museum
(
01631-570007;
www.obanmuseum.org.uk
; Corran Esplanade; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat,
to 4pm Sun May-Sep, to 4pm daily Mar, Apr, Oct & Nov)
Military buffs will enjoy the
little War & Peace Museum, which chronicles Oban's role in WWII as a base for Catalina
seaplanes and as a marshalling area for Atlantic convoys.
Dunollie Castle & 1745 House
(
01631-570550;
www.dunollie.org
; Dunollie Rd; adult/child £3/free; 11am-4pm
Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun)
A pleasant 1-mile stroll along the coast road north of Corran Es-
planade leads to Dunollie Castle, built by the MacDougalls of Lorn in the 13th century
and unsuccessfully besieged for a year during the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. It's very much
a ruin, but the nearby 1745 House - the seat of Clan MacDougall - is now a fascinating
museum of local and clan history.
CASTLE
