Travels in Our Motorhome – RV66 ORG – Autotrail Imala 736G- occupants - two adults of a certain age
April 2022 Onto Oban - our second stop
As ever driving through Scotland is such a joy. Most of the time the roads are not particularly busy and the scenery is marvellous wherever you are.
Our campsite for 5 nights was the North Ledaig Caravan Park about 6 miles north of Oban. This is an independent and it site overlooks Armucknish Bay. Our pitch was just a couple of metres from the shoreline, facing west, so the aspect was glorious, especially at sunset.
Delighted with our situation we got ourselves organised for a five night stay, looking forward to our evening meal of Lancashire Hotpot from Tebay Services.
Lancashire Hotpot Experience Was it worth the money
Lancashire Hotpot – a rich and traditional dish with lamb and some black pudding added for a rich and warming experience – so the box told us.
I have to say that as far as I was concerned the hotpot was a massive letdown. There was just 4 pieces of lamb, each piece the size of a teaspoon and two pieces of black pudding – size ditto. Barely any other vegetable apart from the traditional potato topping which had not been pre-cooked and so even though we followed the defrosting and heating up instructions the potato was not properly cooked through. Compared with other brands of ready meal I don't think this one was worth £11.95p.
Fortunately one hotpot doesn't make a holiday. We just put that down to expereince and decided that Tebay would be given a miss next time we travel morth on the M6.
After our night in Starthclyde Country Park we set out bright and eraly for Oban
Exploring Oban and its surroundings
Oban is an interesting place to visit. There are shops, cafes and pubs. There’s a small museum and a distillery. We didn’t visit the distillery as we considered it rather expensive at £20 per person, with no indication of any discount for purchases. And there is the port with regular ferry sailings to several places including Mull.
Using the bikes
The campsite at North Ledaig is about 5 miles north of Oban and National Cycle Route 78, Fort William to Oban goes through the campsite. We cycled to Oban on this route. The cycle route joins a dedicated path on the main road a little way out of the campsite before crossing over the road and entering a fully off-road section all the way to Oban. The scenery is spectacular. The ride is fairly steep in places so you need to be comfortable with hills or have an e-bike. We have e-bikes, they just make long rides and hilly terrain much more manageable. The cycle route is quite a bit further than the road, probably just over 8 miles
Unfortunately, I had a puncture. We do carry puncture repair kit and although the problem was quickly remedied we decided not to follow the cycle route back to Oban. It is a route fully off road and not at all accessible with a motor vehicle so in the event of any further problems you would be completely stranded and would have a walk of several miles back to the road. Although the road back to the campsite from Oban is quite busy we thought we would brave it. The ride back along the road turned out to be easier than the cycle route into Oban. There is a path alongside the road all the way apart from a very short section. The journey is shorter and much smoother in terms of the ups and downs than the off-road cycle route. If you need to get to Oban on your bike, cycle on the path by the road; if you want total quiet and amazing views use the dedicated Cycle Route 78.
From Oban going north towards Fort William the cycle route continues along the side of the road and diverts into the country side. In addition, there are short loops off from the main cycle route taking you through countryside and to the beach.
Oban on foot
There is plenty of parking in Oban and dedicated motorhome spaces in a car park close to Tesco. Only 4 spaces so you have to get there early.
Wandering round the town you are aware of a magnificent structure high on a hill overlooking the town. This McCiag’s Tower. It is possible to drive to the tower but it is also accessible on foot. The route is steep but there are steps and resting places. When you get to the top you realise that the tower is nothing but a large, stone ring, described as a testament to the stonemason’s art. There is a garden and plenty of seats and the views through the windows are stunning.
Inside McCaig's Tower
View through one of the windows
Admiring the view
Over to Mull with a bit of music thrown in
We took the ferry to Mull as a foot pasengers with our bikes. At the time of writing (April 2022) this was £7.80 each each way, bikes free. The crossing takes about 45 minutes.The nearest crossing point on Mull is Craignure.
The annual Tobermory music festival was due to take place in a couple of days and when we went to the pub at Craignure for lunch we were treated to an impromptu performance from a band travelling to the festival.
We spent a very pleasant day with fine weather cycling Mull’s roads and quiet lanes.
