Oban, A Coastal Town In Scotland
Oban is not only the name of an excellent Single Malt Whiskey but also a great little town in North - Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. Spared by the atlantic winds by the island of Kerrera which lies just in front of the town, Oban ("little bay" in Gaelic) is situated around a natural harbour.The distillery is down at the pier, giving the whiskey its salty nose.
It has a population of around 8000, pretty much everything you need to enjoy life, great air and a nice collection of pubs. Due to its role as the main ferry port to the inner and outer Hebrides and the largest town between Glasgow and Fort William it serves as the a sort of little capital of the West - Highlands and has a great new hospital that looks after an area of ca 800 square kilometers. Mull is only 1 hour away by ferry, Barra a little bit further with 6 hours sailing time.
Above Oban, on one of the numerous hills, looms McCaig's Tower (or McCaig's folly, as the locals call it): a 100 year old circular structure resembling Rome's Coliseum, it was build by the philanthropic banker J.S. Mc Caig to keep the local stonemasons from moving away and in business.
Although the whole town is in dire need of some proper local government to clean up its sometimes shabby appearance, it is still a magical place to live on an autumn evening when the last rays of the sun light up Kerrera and from somewhere the sad sound of a bagpipe wails over the loch.