Today we were already in the town of Oban when we arose from our sleep. It is always nice to watch as the town awakens and people begin showing themselves in the streets as the local merchants prepare for the day ahead of them. Our day was to begin at the Oban Distillery, where we would have a chance to tour the distillery and learn all of the ins and outs of the creation of this liquid so synonymous with the land we know as Scotland. It was fascinating to realize that of the four flavors that are found in the whisky, much of it comes not from flavors added to the brew, but rather from the natural process of distilling the whisky. The distillery likes to believe they are a gift from nature to show the world just how special and natural whisky from Scotland is.
We then headed back to the ship for a pre-lunch departure from Oban. We had a tide to race so that our arrival at Corpach, the entrance to the Caledonian Canal would be in harmony with the strong currents found there. This gave Konia, our cultural specialist, the chance to give us a program on the lighthouses that dot the coastline we have been traveling along. We learned a great deal about the lighthouses, however we learned as much about the designers and builders of many of the lighthouses still in use today. Tomas Smith, an ironsmith and streetlight builder, and his stepson, Robert Stevenson, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed author, built and designed at least 12 of the lighthouses on the coast today. With each new lighthouse, Stevenson tried many new designs and ideas, becoming a leader in lighthouse design and earning him the respect and admiration of the Board of Lighthouses. His light on Bell Rock became on the Seven Wonders of the industrial world and became the feat Stevenson was most known for.
We made our arrival at Corpach in ample time and set fourth on our afternoons venture to Glenfinnan, the site of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s arrival back in Scotland, where he raised his standard and began the last of the great Jacobite uprisings. While some of us hiked the nearby woodlands, others strolled out to the memorial erected in Prince Charlie’s memory. The group I accompanied took off to the high ground and walked a beautiful trail that paralleled the railway tracks that would carry us back to our vessel, Lord of the Glens. Our walk was adventurous as we left the parking lot and headed up in the steady rain. We hiked under the viaduct train trestle made famous in the Harry Potter movies. Our pathway gave us wonderful views of the surrounding highlands, and even in the rain the scenery was as breathtaking as the uphill hiking under our feet. We wished we could linger as we walked, but we had a train back to Corpach to catch. We made the rail station in plenty of time for a warm cup of tea at the dining car cafe at the train depot. Our fellow guests arrived by motor coach and we all boarded the train for a delightful ride back to the ship. Our day had been well spent and after our evening meal we were entertained by a local folk group who played traditional music. They filled our hearts with music and song until it was time for their lullabies to end and our day to be complete.
