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Oban in Gaelic means
"little bay." It has a resident population of 8,500 and is the
unofficial capital of the West Highlands - the "Gateway to
the Isles." The panoramic views of the mountains, lochs and
islands which have captivated artists, authors, composers, and poets
for centuries are as striking now as they were when Dunollie Castle,
which has stood sentinel over the narrow entrance to the sheltered bay
for around six hundred years, was the northern outpost of the Dalriadic
Scots.
Beyond Oban lie the
islands of the Inner Hebrides: Kerrera, which protects the town from
Atlantic storms; the low, green island of Lismore, majestic Mull and
the granite mountains of the Morvern peninsula. Beyond them, the
sacred island of Iona, Coll, Colonsay and Tiree.
It is no surprise to
find Oban in the 21st Century remains a magnet for travellers
from all over the world. The town's present day popularity owes
much
to the Victorians, and as early as 1812, when the Comet steamship
linked
Oban with Glasgow, the town played host to intrepid travellers touring
Staffa
- the inspiration for Mendelssohn's Hebridean Overture, and Iona, home
of
Scottish Christianity since St. Columba stepped ashore in AD563.
Indeed once Oban had the
royal seal of approval from Queen Victoria, who called it "one of the
finest spots we have seen." The town's destiny as an endearingly
enchanting holiday destination was as firmly set as the lava columns of
Fingal's Cave in Staffa.
The circular structure
in the above picture is MacCaig's Tower, now 100 years old. It
was built by a local banker and philanthropist John Stewart
MacCaig. He wanted to provide work for the unemployed, and
planned a museum with a watch-tower a hundred feet higher than even the
hilltop building! He died before the building was finished.
It is regarded by the townsfolk with affection and is one of the best
known landmarks of the West Highlands.
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