Oban
October 14, 2012 * * * * * Posted by: guest blogger 
I first came to Oban on the west coast of Scotland soaked to the skin, aged 17, traveling alone as a hitch-hiker on a mission to explore the countryside of Argyll. I found myself wandering down a deserted Glen Lochy in torrential rain as darkness fell, with my plan to walk onwards looking like a route to death by hypothermia.
A mile or so down the glen I found a house with a decrepit old stable behind it and I decided that would have to be my home for the night. I thought of asking permission, but things were desperate and my request might have been refused, so I quietly stumbled inside, feeling my way in complete darkness and hoping it was empty. I spent a largely sleepless night wet and cold under some straw, with what I presumed to be mice or rats scurrying all around and over me.
I ventured out to the road again at dawn, my clothes still soaking, and managed to get a lift into Oban in the back of a delivery van carrying the day's newspapers. I became instantly attracted to the place - essentially a semicircle of buildings around a wide bay that is busy with boats of all sizes. The big ferries sail serenely in and out against the backdrop of the islands of Mull, Kerrera and Lismore, with the water of the Sound of Mull stretching into the distant view if the weather is clear.
Oban is the departure point for the voyage to many of the outer western isles, but the option of day-return passenger tickets on the ferries to the inner isles offers cheap excursions at a far more reasonable price than any formal boat trip.
Standing on the deck of a ferry plying its way out from Oban bay, I always wonder is there anywhere else in the world I'd rather be? There is just something I love about this place and the seas and islands around it.
And the big gulls are a constant presence, so unafraid that they will let you stand right next to them to take a photo, while they casually investigate if you might have some fish and chips that you might offer to share with them. With so many obliging tourists, these are very well-fed gulls.
Each year as I travel back to Oban, usually for summer and autumn visits, I pass my old emergency refuge in Glen Lochy in a warm car with my wife by my side and a dry hotel room booked. That is always a considerable improvement on the circumstances of my first visit, but the first one remains the most memorable.
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Our guest today is Andrew MacLaren-Scott from Scotland, who signs in under the name Don QuiScottie. How fun is that! He is a writer and author of 10 books, some translated into many languages. His most recent funny-but-serious fiction novella is "Aileen the Alien," which can be accessed at his Don QuiScottie website. And he found us through our own Cherry! Welcome to V&V, Andrew--er, Don!
Reader Comments (27)
What a memorable night this must have been Andrew, and in the end you still found yourself attracted to this picturesque little town. I love the composition of your photograph and those seagull really seems comfortable having their picture taken. Nice to have you here with us Andrew :-)
A gloroius photo to head your lovely story. Most of us know that houses can enfold and welcome you as you step through the door, but not many people think of towns or villages doing the same thing. I'm glad to know that someone else has experienced that feeling of belonging in a place you have never visited before.
Oban sounds like a magical place...and I just love the story of how - in your innocent youth - you stumbled upon this idyllic town. Your returning time and time again makes it all that much more special!!!
Thank-you so much for visiting us here today...and sharing your beautiful memories!
Thanks for the comments Anyes, Sheila and Marcie, and I am glad you like the photo and the words. I have also enjoyed discovering and exploring Vision & Verb, and will explore some more soon.
These stories from our youth become more magical over time, I think, and with legendary proportions, Andrew, which makes re-visiting them so wonderful. Thank you for sharing this beautiful place with us. And thank you for taking the time to read so many of our own stories. You've been a real trooper amongst all us women. HA! I love it. It's been fun to meet you through our own Cherry.
Ah Ginne, The Don usually undertakes his noble Quests with carefree abandon, but he embarked on this venture into this Land of Women with some trepidation (and even concern about what his Dear Dulcinea might say :)
I have announced my new adventure with these words on my own blog today:
"I was invited to make a guest post on the interesting Vision and Verb website, which is "A Global Gathering of Women". My goodness... How could the gallant Don refuse? It was nice of them to invite me, a mere man (although of course a bold and noble one), to offer an image and some words for them to consider. Please take a look at my vision and my verbs which have appeared today, and explore everything else they have to offer."
I hope this may lead a few more people to discover your good site. Thanks for having me!
And as for me being, as you say "a real trooper amongst all us women", I intend to troop some more. Visits to Anyes, Sheila and Marcie who commented first are next on my noble agenda... They have been warned. - The Don :)
What an absolutely beautiful post. Thank you so much. I found you through your comments here at V and V, and am so pleased that you were invited to become a guest. And even more pleased that you agreed.
The charm of Oban must be immense to be cherished and revisited after what some would consider an unpromising start.
I am glad you accepted the invitation to write a guest post for V&V. Oban sounds such a wonderful place and your description of it makes me want head there right away. I love the photo, I can almost imagine the seagull flying out of my computer screen towards me.
One of my enduring urges is to travel north. Those western isles sound amazing and I can just see you standing there reliving those wonderful memories. (Except for the damp and the scuttling that is!) The amazing western light makes for a beautiful evocative image too, I want to go more than ever now:~)
What a beautiful image! I so enjoy sitting on the shore of the Pacific observing seagulls. They seem to know. Maybe because of Jonathon Livingston.....
Terrific image! and like Soosie I have already checked out others at your site. It certainly sounds as if you have found your magical place/town/home/villiage in the world and now you get to share it with the ones you love. Thanks for hanging out with us here.
So well written that I was not a at surprised to learn that the author of this post is indeed a writer. Well, you've created a lasting impression of this beautiful place for me. The photo is the icing on the cake.
Thanks very much for all the nice comments ladies (or girls? am I allowed to call you girls? :) As I think I said before to Ginnie, I generally find the wrong thing to say in a crowd of women so I am trying to be careful, ha ha, but they usually forgive me because I manage to pretend I am just a clumsy big fool :)
I am enjoying my day as a guest here.
We always enjoy having men visit our little 'home on the web.' And, "Don," YOU are one of our favorites! Thank you for joining us and treating us to such a delightful image and story. I loved reading about your first encounter with Oban.
I'm had the privilege of visiting Oban 5 years ago. It's not your typical tourist stop for someone from the US, but I was glad to have experienced it - it is a beautiful place. Thank you for reminding me.
Thanks Sue
I agree Shirley. It is a working town, and quite basic in parts, which is one of the things I like about it. It does have a beautiful busy working bay and a lovely outlook to the islands, plus a whisky distillery, two good restaurants and several basic ones, and a chocolate factory/coffee shop with a great view, nice walks around about it, an impressive circular stone monument/folly atop a hill and some perfectly acceptable hotels, many with great views. Always enough for me and my lady for a day or two each year, but it is the sea and the view and the ferry trips on offer that make it special. It all has a bit of an 'other worldly', for me, for somewhere just a 2 hour 40 minute drive from my home near the east coast. But having sung its praises, we are heading north-east tomorrow in this October week break, for a change.
Mr. QuiScottie, what a pleasure it is to have you so active in our group! Thank you for a wonderful post. I so agree that our travels are most memorable when we're stretched. I will never forget hiking Machu Picchu and the last full day of hiking with high altitude was a killer. Three steps and rest. Three steps and rest. All day long that was the mantra. Then after four days of hiking (and my very first camping trip!) I was so elated to arrive at the hotel...only to find nothing but cold running water for my first shower in days! Beautiful capture too!
How lovely!!! Both the picture and the story. I've been to the west of Scotland, and I was captured by the landscape and the fast changing weather pattern. The people, too - although I had some difficulties undersanding their dialect. That usually changed after some whiskeys...
Such gorgeous memories - these are the ones that stay with us.
Sounds like quite an adventure you had there Robin! I have never done high altitude hiking but I have heard about its challenges.
Ha ha Carola, everyone speaks the same language after sufficient whisky. It's the language called Rubbish :) But it's a fun language to converse in.
What a story! It sounds like a beautiful town to visit and a chocolate factory/coffee shop makes it TRULY my kind of place! I love the photo too.
Now this makes me want to visit!
Maery Rose: See how classy the Chocolate Company is, and its lovely view for eating chocolate and drinking coffee here:
http://www.obanchocolate.co.uk/acatalog/cafe.html
I have no connection with them, I just like the place
Puna: If you visit Scotland you should definitely visit Oban and take in a ferry trip to at least one of the western isles
What a lovely post, and such a wonderful memory of your adventure. I just love when a place calls to us like this, when it feels like coming home. Thank you so much for sharing your fabulous photo and this place that is so close to your heart.