Jane and I arrived here by bus from Oban, and on our first visit during this trip had a mere hour to organise some form of accomodation for the evening on Iona. This was accomplished via the Tourist Information Centre, and we then made the short dash to the ferry terminal to board the ferry for Mull.
We returned here on the Saturday, and arrived from Mull at about 8:30 in the morning. Waiting for the Tourist Centre to open so we could dump our packs for the day we then made our way to the Tesco cafe for a cheap yummy breakfast before beginning our wee wander of the town.
Our wee wander took in several of the quaint shops that litter the tiny, compact streets. Jewellry stores offering traditional fare, chocolate stores offering yummy treets and outdoor stores offering funky hats.
The most wonderful thing about Oban is that, because it is so small, you can easily wander the town itself in less than a day and enjoy yourself as you do. The thing which isn't quite so good about Oban is that a lot of the town is built onto the side of a hill - so if you are wanting to get some truly stupendous views, then you must be prepared to hike up a LOT of stairs. This we did, to make our way up to and onto McCaigs tower
The construction of the tower was ordered by Stuart McCaig, an art critic, banker and philisophical essayist. The planned 29m high central tower was never completed and work was abandoned on the structure in 1900, at which over �5000 had been spent. The windows, which in one of them, Jane and I sat on this day, were supposed to be filled with stone and bronze statues of the McCaig family but this was never achieved. As it stands the tower is a bizarre landmark in a town that stands out amidst the small buildings and houses - but a landmark that offers supreme views across the Sound of Mull toward Mull, with Kerrera in the foreground. It is well worth the walk.
Following our hike up the tower we lazed in the sunshine that was beating down on us, pausing only for lunch and a drink in a small pub before we caught the bus for our long 4hr ride back to Inverness. |
