Highland (Islands) forum 2 room
Image by drewbhoy
close

Off to Scotland for two weeks in the autumn, staying just north of Oban. Any tips for "must see", photogenic, standing-stone type sites please? I'm hoping to take in Mull, Arran and Iona while I'm there.

Any general hints and tips ("best chippy in Scotland", "secret but much better ferry route", "blinding pub" etc.) also gratefully received!

Mustard wrote:
Off to Scotland for two weeks in the autumn, staying just north of Oban. Any tips for "must see", photogenic, standing-stone type sites please? I'm hoping to take in Mull, Arran and Iona while I'm there.

Any general hints and tips ("best chippy in Scotland", "secret but much better ferry route", "blinding pub" etc.) also gratefully received!

Easdale and the Isle of Seil - no standing stones as far as I'm aware but was my very first experience of the deep blue sky and sea which often appears around the coast of Scotland. Quite close to Oban accessed via Clachan Bridge. The smallest brewery in Scotland (possibly the world) up there.
http://www.easdale.org/easdale/

Oban is a nice enough place - been there several times.
Kilchurn Castle is well worth a visit on the way to Oban (free)

Iona is a beautiful place. On a nice day it must be fantastic.
Tobermory is very nice and there are standing stones with easy access on the outskirts of town at the back of the pottery.
I am hoping to visit again next year.

Haven't been to Arran yet - again, hoping to visit next year.
I look forward to reading your field notes!

Hope you have a great time.

Lochbuie stone circle on Mull, a real hidden gem in a lovely setting, albeit a bit boggy. On a fine day, such as the one when I visited ( a beautiful late-Autumn afternoon) it's well worth a visit though I guess if it were raining/overcast the site might not appeal so much. The tall thin outlier's very inpressive.

If you've got time you can't beat a boat trip to Fingal's Cave on Staffa. Not man made but surely more inspirational. It makes me feel happy to think about my visit there. Though I wish it'd been longer and there were too many people really. Ideally they should have just left me and come back later. We also went to Lunga to see the puffins. They're not megalithic at all. But who doesn't like puffins, surely no-one.

If you are going to take in Arran think about it as a visit either on the way to Oban or on the way back. You need a night (or preferably two) in order to get around the best of the sites on Arran.

Travel north towards Oban head for Ardrossan => Brodick ferry to Arran (much stoning, overnight stay, more stoning next day) then short ferry Lochranza => Claonaig to Argyll (Oban is one and a half hours drive North of Claonaig via Kilmartin Glen). Do this route in the evening and stop to watch the sun set behind the Paps of Jura from the great stone phallus at Kintraw.
Alternatively reverse this route for a homeward journey.

It could also be done with a very early start from Oban, cross to Arran via Kilmartin Glen, Lochgilphead, Tarbert, Claonaig-Lochranza and do the sites on a loop of the island- possible but a push to complete in a day- and return on the last ferry to Claonaig then back up to Oban.

Arran - visit Druid Auchencar, Machrie Moor, Stronach Wood (RA), Kings Caves, Torrylinn Cairns, Glenashdale Falls (with Giants Graves Chambered Cairn don't forget Torran Loisge 5 mins above), Eas Mor waterfall Kildonan, the massive scale craziness that makes up the Great Stone Heaps of Clauchland (once you realise what it is you are looking at it kinda makes your heart leap), the general weirdness of the stones and chambered cairns at Sannox and the range of massive semi-wrecked chambered cairns hidden in forestry at North Sannox. Lots of single stones around Brodick. That should keep you busy for a day or two.

Suggestions for going through Kilmartin - see everything.

Mull = Iona & Staffa. On Mull itself, do ride the Craignure-Toronsay Death Railway. The Craignure fossil beach. Also go to Duart Castle (not worth paying/going in) you can wander round the grounds for free and re-enact Donald Sutherland's epic scaling of the little grassy cliff below the Castle the location for Eye Of The Needle.
Oban = drive round the coast past Benderloch and take the lovely walk to Castle Stalker. Make a spoof video.

http://youtu.be/2PckeXD7Xyc

And remember that you are free to roam in Scotland = No Trespass. If stones are in a farmer's field, you are allowed to walk over, see them and hang out.

Enjoy yourself.

Cheers everyone. All suggestions duly noted! :)