Oban, the "Gateway to the Isles" is often called the unofficial capital of the West Highlands is the largest port in the west of Scotland. The town is also a popular resort, overlooking a beautiful sheltered bay with panoramic views of the mountains, lochs and islands. The scenery is as striking now as it was when Dunollie Castle, a ruined keep which has stood sentinel over the narrow entrance to the sheltered bay for around six hundred years, was the northern outpost of the Dalriadic Scots.

Oban itself has many attractions for visitors including: Oban Distillery; McCaig's Folly, (a lookalike of Rome's Colosseum, built in 1897); nearby Dunstaffnage Castle; Ganavan Sands; and many varied boat trips from the harbour.