Oban

Oban's compact centre means most places to stay are within easy walking distance of the harbour, station and ferry terminal, so the choice tends to come down to view and style rather than location. The seafront esplanade, a ten to fifteen minute walk north of the pier, has the town's most characterful boutique hotels and guest houses, converted from Victorian townhouses and almost all facing the bay towards Mull and Kerrera; this is the stretch to choose for a longer break or a special occasion where a sea view from the breakfast table matters. Staying right in the town centre, closer to the station and ferry terminal, suits visitors without a car or those catching an early sailing to the islands, putting restaurants, the distillery and the harbourfront seafood stalls on the doorstep.

For a quieter alternative, a handful of country house hotels and guest houses sit just outside town along Loch Feochan to the south or the Connel and Ledaig road to the north, trading a short drive back into Oban for more space, gardens and a slower pace. Prices in Oban rise sharply in summer and around ferry-heavy weekends, so it is worth booking well ahead for July and August, particularly for the esplanade properties that fill up fastest. Whichever area is chosen, nowhere in Oban is more than a short walk or drive from the harbour, so the decision is really about the kind of stay wanted rather than practicality.

Oban rewards a slow wander around the harbour as much as it does day trips further afield.

• Oban Distillery sits in the middle of town and has been distilling whisky since 1794, making it one of Scotland's oldest working distilleries; guided tours end with a tasting of its coastal single malt.
• McCaig's Tower is the unfinished Colosseum-like folly that dominates the skyline, commissioned by banker John Stuart McCaig in 1897 to provide winter work for local stonemasons; the short climb up is rewarded with views across the bay to Mull and Kerrera.
• A ferry day trip to Mull and Iona is Oban's signature excursion, with CalMac sailing to Craignure before a bus crosses Mull to Fionnphort for the passenger ferry to Iona's abbey.
• Dunstaffnage Castle, a 13th-century fortress a short drive north of town, has seen royal residences and political imprisonments and gives a good sense of the region's turbulent medieval history.
• Ganavan Sands, a Blue Flag beach around two miles north of the centre, is the place for a walk along the sand or a paddle with views out towards Mull and Lismore.
• Oban Seafood Hut and the harbourside stalls sell dressed crab, langoustines and oysters landed that morning, best eaten on a bench looking out over the bay.
• Kerrera, reached by a short passenger ferry from Gallanach, offers a quiet circular walk past Gylen Castle with none of the traffic of the town.
• War and Peace Museum, a small volunteer-run museum on the seafront, tells the story of Oban's role during both World Wars, including the flying boats that once used the bay.

Oban's reputation as Scotland's seafood capital is built on the boats that land directly at the pier, and the harbourside seafood stalls selling dressed crab, langoustines and oysters are as much a part of a visit as any restaurant. Fish and chip shops along the front serve freshly landed haddock, while several harbourside restaurants specialise in whatever has come off the boats that day, from scallops to whole lobster. The Oban Distillery is the obvious stop for whisky, producing a distinctive coastal single malt that pairs well with the seafood the town is known for, and several bars along George Street and the esplanade stock a wide range of Highland and island malts. Local smokehouses supply smoked salmon and kippers sold from shops in the town centre, useful for picnics or taking home, and a small farmers' and craft market sets up periodically on the seafront selling Argyll produce, baking and preserves.

Oban itself has no campsite within the town centre, but several well-established sites sit within a few miles, making camping and touring an easy and popular way to base a stay here. The closest options are just south of town on the Gallanach road towards the Kerrera ferry, within walking or cycling distance of the harbour, and are well suited to tents, campervans and caravans alike. A little further north, around Connel and Ledaig, sites look out over Loch Etive and the Sound of Mull, trading a short drive into Oban for direct sea views and a quieter setting.

Given Oban's role as a ferry hub, many campers use it as a stopover before or after island crossings to Mull, Coll or Barra, so sites here tend to be geared towards short stays as much as longer holidays, with good facilities for washing gear and drying kit after wet Highland weather. Midges can be troublesome from late spring through summer, particularly in still, damp conditions, so a head net and repellent are worth packing. Electric hook-ups, showers and small on-site shops are standard at the region's larger sites, and most welcome dogs, making this stretch of coast an easy, practical base for touring Argyll and the islands beyond.