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Practicalities
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The CalMac
ferry terminal
(tel 01631/566688,
) for the islands is on Railway Pier, a stone's throw from the
train station
, which is itself adjacent to the
bus station
on Station Square. The
tourist office
(July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-7pm; mid- to late June & Sept Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm; May to mid-June Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm; late Sept to Oct Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm; April Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; Nov-March Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat & Sun noon-4pm; tel 01631/563122;
) is housed in a converted church on Argyll Square.
Oban is positively heaving with hotels and B&B s. Top choices include the Glenbervie Guest House (tel 01631/564770; under A?40), a superior Victorian guest house set slightly above the town on Dalriach Road, the Glenburnie Hotel (tel 01631/562089; April-Oct; A?50-60), an efficiently run medium-sized Victorian hotel on the quieter section of the Corran Esplanade, beyond the cathedral, and the Royal Hotel , on Argyll Square (tel 01631/563021; A?70-90), the best of Oban's big central hotels. There are also three hostels , the friendliest, cheapest and most central of which is the Oban Backpackers , on Breadalbane Street (tel 01631/562107, oban@scotlands-top-hostels.com ). Campers should head for Oban Caravan & Camping Park, Gallanachmore Farm, Gallanach Road (tel 01631/562425; April to mid-Oct), two miles southwest of Oban along the Gallanach Road.
For sit-down snacks,
F'Eats
, a modern cafAŠ on John Street, offers delicious toasted panini and good cappuccino. On the corner of George and John Street is Oban's swankiest new designer
restaurant
,
Ee-usk
, which serves up superb fish and seafood dishes. Vegetarians might prefer to head for
CafAŠ Na Lusan,
in Craigard Road (closed Mon), an internet cafAŠ serving inexpensive veggie food. Oban's only half-decent
pub
is the
Oban Inn
opposite the North Pier, with a classic dark-wood-flagstone-and-brass bar downstairs and lounge bar with stained glass upstairs. It's worth noting, however, that Oban is one of the few places in Argyll with a
cinema
, confusingly known as The Highland Theatre (tel 01631/562444), at the north end of George Street. The annual
Argyllshire Gathering
takes place on the last Thursday in August, featuring piping competitions and Highland Games. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United Kingdom,
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