Completing our traverse across the Highlands via the Caledonian Canal, we left of our mooring at Corpach in the early hours to navigate into the seawater towards Oban. We spent the morning passing through a palette of greens and grays, with the skies parting to reveal rolling landscapes and then closing in on the ship under heavy rains. During the morning navigation, we kept a watchful eye on the water in search of marine life while we gathered in the lounge to learn about the flora and fauna of Scotland from naturalist Robin Patten.
Before lunch we docked in the picturesque harbor town of Oban to set off an afternoon of exploration. Everyone had the opportunity to visit the eponymous local whisky distillery where we learned that when it was founded in 1794, it had no neighbors but a cliff and the sea. Now flanked on all sides by the town, the historic Oban distillery continues to produce its whisky in traditions that have changed little over the many years. We were taken through the distillation process from the beginning to the end; from the malting, milling, mashing, distillation, and maturation processes to a change to taste the end result, an effort of over 14 years for each bottle of the original Oban whisky.
After a wee dram, we continued enjoying the rainy afternoon by taking a photo walk with or climbing the hillside to visit McCaig’s Tower, a stone structure reminiscent of the Roman Colliseum which was constructed by a local investment banker in part to keep stonemasons employed in 1890. Today this “folly” is home to a park filled with beautiful greenery, such as the prehistoric looking gunnera plant, and offering outstanding views over Oban and out to the isles of Kerrera and Mull (when the rainclouds would obligingly part).
We returned to Lord of the Glens for a leisurely dinner and an early night in to prepare for our exploration tomorrow of Iona.
