Oban
Classification and Statistics
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Location
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Geography
Located on
Oban Bay, the town has grown along the coast, hemmed in by hills rising steeply to the rear. The
Black Lynn flows through the town to spill into the bay. The Corran Esplanade represents a raised beach which stretches around the coast past Dunollie to
Ganavan, and includes several relict sea-stacks, one of which is known as
Fingal's Dogstone. Fine Late Victorian villas spread along the Esplanade beyond
St. Columba's Cathedral, most of which are now hotels.
Oban Airport is located at North Connel, 5 miles (8 km) to the northeast.
History
Thomas Pennant gives a brief description of the town in his
A Tour in Scotland in 1769.
James Boswell (1740-95) and
Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-84) visited on the return from their Hebridean Tour of 1773, with
Johnson describing Oban as having a "tolerable inn." The author
Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) visited in 1814 and
Queen Victoria visited in 1847, reporting in her journal that the town was "one of the finest spots we have seen."
RAF Oban was a base for flying boats patrolling the North Atlantic for German U-Boats during the Second World War. Its headquarters was at Dungallan House in the south of the town, flying operations were from Ardantrive Bay on Kerrera, on the opposite side of Oban Bay, and there was a maintenance facility at Ganavan.
Industry
The government established a fishing station in Oban in 1786 and a small shipbuilding yard opened here in 1796. Although never a major fishing port, Oban Harbour still has a small inshore fleet and a modest fish market. Britain's first steamboat
The Comet entered service between Glasgow, Oban and Fort William in 1819, but was unfortunately wrecked near Oban the following year.
David Hutcheson (1799 - 1880) and
David MacBrayne (1818 - 1907) began bringing tourist steamers here in 1851. Today, Caledonian
MacBrayne ferries sail to the islands of
Barra,
Coll,
Colonsay,
Islay,
Lismore,
Mull,
South Uist and
Tiree, as well as
Kennacraig on
Kintyre. A small ferry connects
Gallanach (1¼ miles / 2 km to the south of the town) with
Kerrera. Since 1794, whisky has been produced at
Oban Distillery, which is still located prominently in the town centre. Oban has had a weekly livestock auction since the 19th C. which continues today at the
Oban Livestock Centre.
References and Further Reading
Faichney, Alexander Mailer (1897) MacKay's Complete Tourists' Guide to Oban and Vicinity.
New and Enlarged Edition. D. Mackay, Bookseller, Queen's Park Place, George Street, ObanTranter, Nigel (1977) The Queen's Scotland: Argyll and Bute.
Hodder and Stoughton, LondonWalker, Frank Arneil (2000) The Buildings of Scotland: Argyll and Bute.
Penguin, London
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