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Published: November 30th 2008
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Battlements
Stones at Dunadd Hill Fort, Kilmartin Glen. Arriving back off the ferry in Oban on the evening of October 31st, I quickly found my hostel, only a short trudge away and complete with a group of hostellers dressing up, determined to wreak Halloween havoc (or at least go out and rouse the locals at the pub on the corner.) I had a lively evening just sitting in the lounge, where I chatted, gave costume opinions, scoffed candy and even managed to Skype my sister - hel
lo free wireless internet, how I had missed you!
The next day, I was struck by a similar problem to the one I’d faced in Inverness. Once more I was at the end of the road, with decisions to make about the next leg of my trip. This time there would be no serendipitous tour bus to help me on the way - but though I began looking through bus and train timetables, I was somewhere so friendly and comfortable that I was quite happy to put any actual planning or travel off for a few days!
In fact, since it was exceedingly wet and I was beyond tired of being soggy, I spent most of the first three days of
Dunadd Hill Fort
Seventh century hill fort with modern day farm underneath. November in the lounge, updating my blog and gossiping with the hostel’s perpetually on-duty temporary manager (the permanent manager being on holiday, in New Zealand, of all places!) The blog slippage had well and truly started, even then, although of course I wasn’t nearly as far behind as I am now!
The first clear afternoon, I explored
Oban, starting with the hill behind the town, which is crowned with an odd stone structure illuminated at night. The strange Coliseum-like construction is known as McCaig’s tower, after the wealthy philanthropist who commissioned it, seemingly to provide local stonemasons with work in winter months. After his death the tower was abandoned, with only the outer walls finished - but it makes an excellent viewpoint over Oban and the outlying Isles: Barra, Coll, Colonsay, Islay, Lismore, Mull, Uist, Tiree, Lismore and of course the closest, Kerrara.
CalMac ferries run to the islands from Oban, giving the small town its nickname - “Gateway to the Isles” - and ensuring a steady flow of tourists during the summer when visitor attractions are most accessible. Staying there at the beginning of winter, I couldn’t imagine where all the extra people would fit - the
Villagers
Sheep grazing in Kilmartin Glen. town is long and narrow, squeezed between the hills and the harbour, with the houses climbing the hills behind.
My Sunday plan included church at the local St Columba’s Cathedral and a walk around the coast to
Dunstaffnage Castle, near Dunbeg. I was slightly surprised when my roommate quizzed me about my intentions and announced she would come with me. All too aware that non-churchgoers my age aren’t terribly likely to enjoy a Catholic service, I tried to put her off - but she was so determined to accompany me I couldn't say no.
Despite my sceptism, my companion seemed to enjoy the mass, and once I'd answered all her questions, we set off around the coast, electing to take more scenic path over the hills rather than follow the road... but we hadn’t factored in the recent bad weather, and the boggy ground made rough going. My shoes were thoroughly wet before we were halfway there, but when we found Dunstaffnage it was worth it. The crumbling ruin was built on a plug of volcanic rock, and could be climbed. I was excited to discover that at one point in its history, it was captured by Robert the
Ancient stones
Linear Cemetery cairn, Kilmartin Glen. Bruce, himself!
My only other out of town adventure was a day trip
Kilmartin Glen, site of the largest concentration of prehistoric sites and monuments in Scotland. Kilmartin is a pleasant hour’s drive south of Oban, through wild, rugged landscapes dotted with little villages built on coastal inlets, each one with its own marina.
The weather wasn’t great (
quel surprise!) As planned, I hopped off the bus at Bridgend at the southern end of the glen. The second the bus drove off it began bucketing down. Within a couple of minutes my legs were soaked, and the gale was so strong that I gave up on the hike up a hill after some cup and circle carvings. I forced myself forwards along the road instead, braced against the furious rain. Luckily the squall passed fairly quickly, and as I arrived at the hill of Dunadd my legs were beginning to dry out.
Dunadd is a seventh century fort, the centre of the Dal Riat kingdom (also known as Dalriad or Dalriada.) The top of the hill commands magnificent views up and down the glen, but although there is sign of design in the piles of stone, there isn’t
McCaig's view
Looking down at the CalMac leaving Oban harbour from McCaig's tower. The low-lying land behind it is Kerrara, an island just across the bay from Oban. much suggestion of exactly how the fort might have been arranged. I photographed the views to my heart's content, and then studied the way the higgledy piggeldy stones met the wonderful rusty colours of the grasses... I must have been intent, because two fellow sightseers asked if I was an archaeology student!
Intermittent weather followed me up the road on my trek past standing stones, cairns and stone circles, some of the arrangements as many as five thousand years old. The culmination is the Linear Cemetery, a perfect line of five cairns marching across the valley floor, ending just below Kilmartin Historic Village. The village contained an excellent museum devoted to the history of the area, a church with a remarkable collection of mediaeval gravemarkers and crosses, and the bus stop for my ride back to Oban.
Fortuitously, (because I still wasn’t quite ready to leave,) the hostel had a couple of different deals running, and I was the proud recipient of two free nights. I availed myself of both of them, using the extra time for more blogging, becoming acquainted with the Blockbuster store across the street, and booking bus and train passage to Oxenholme in Cumbria.
Encircled
Standing in the garden which fills the centre of McCaig's tower. A week and a day after arriving in Oban, I left Scotland for the Lake District.
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