Another sunlit day had dawned as we cast our lines at Corpach and glided out of the sea-lock into the sheltered Atlantic waters of Lochaber sailing past Fort William, the town with the highest rainfall in Britain, on a thoroughly atypical day. The scenery here is both dramatic and beautiful, with Ben Nevis the highest mountain in Britain as a backdrop to the east and the rugged Morven peninsula to the west. Squeezing through the Corran Narrows into Loch Linnhe we continued our sail in the direction of the lively port of Oban, with a presentation on Celtic Christianity en route to prepare us for our full day excursion to Iona tomorrow.
Oban had much to offer for the reminder of the day. The spiritual theme was continued with a visit to the local whisky distillery, which has remained largely unchanged since its late 18th century origins. We were able to tour the distillery and, most importantly, sample the fine product. We had arrived in Oban most fortuitously on the day of the annual Highland Gathering, a day-long spectacle of traditional highland games, music and clan socializing, which several guests took the opportunity to attend. The Gathering ended with a march by the local pipe band into the town centre in brilliant sunshine, enjoyed by everyone, including some indulging in local seafood platters from the local fishmongers’ stalls. Other options included a seafront walk to Dunollie mediaeval castle, home of the clan McDougall, or up to the pretentious but exuberant mock Coliseum overlooking the town. The latter, known as McCaig’s Folly, was built by an investment banker of that name to commemorate his successful career.
