A City Girl in the Scottish Highlands

In this article, I would like to tell you about some of the places and experiences due to which my trip to Oban will forever remain one of my biggest adventures.

A volunteer experience

As stereotypical city girl with two large travel suitcases that were just busting at the seams, I set out for the destination. I found myself in a charming town that already seemed very familiar. Oban is a small town whose name means “little bay” in Gaelic, which is quite fitting, considering it’s located by a wonderful bay. It’s a perfect place for a getaway from daily routine, as its small-town charm and endless possibilities for sports activities make it an ideal location.

I was lucky enough to be accommodated in Oban Youth Hostel with a very cosy atmosphere. The hostel is nicely furnished and has a reading room, a dining room and a kitchen with a view over the bay area. I was most surprised by the fact that the doors are always open to everyone, even dogs. We often spent free time with pets.

My evening at a local pub

Scotland, like England, has a highly developed pub culture. Locals and tourists gather at the bar for some beer after a long day and relax while having conversations and playing billiard. One ordinary rainy day, I was coming back to the hostel from a shop when a kind gentleman invited me for a beer. I decided there wasn’t any risk as there were a lot of other people at the pub, so we ordered a beer together. Before I realised, I had already been sitting at the table with the local women’s shinty team. Shinty is Scottish hockey and it’s quite popular. Women gather after work in order to train and compete in national competitions. I was impressed by their stories of drunken friendly matches and violence that can be noticed during the game. That day, I went home with a head full of stories from the locals and information about the new sport. Hanging out with locals was by far the best part of the whole trip.

Wet as a drowned rat

One boring Saturday, I decided to head out and explore. I put on my thickest tracksuit, thick socks, a leather jacket and a thin anorak, put on my warm-lined ankle boots, and went to Kerrera Island. I read about the beautiful island where Gylen Castle circuit takes you around the entire island. The circuit is said to be surrounded by marvellous nature and include a tearoom. The castle was built in the 16th century and, due to water shortage (ironically) inside, it was abandoned by its original owners.

I quickly realised that the leather jacket and anorak couldn’t keep out the Scottish rain and therefore headed back. I spent most of the way squatting in a barn where I waited for the ferry. I managed to meet 5 of the island’s 35 inhabitants; all of them were really kind and found my dismay over the amount of rain incredibly funny.

The town cinema

The town has a wonderful little cinema that is fully financed by the residents of Oban. In 2010, the town’s only cinema unfortunately closed down and the locals were suddenly faced with reality, namely that the closest cinema was 100 miles (160 kilometres) from their town. A small group of individuals decided to fix this and the support from the rest of the town was as tremendous as it was unexpected. Together, they bought the cinema that is still open to this day, thanks to certain individuals and various charities. It tries to employ mostly young people who need money to enrol in university and give them a chance to raise income.

Sadly, my journey came to an end earlier than planned, but I plan on going back. The town and its residents have a special kind of charm that dazzles everyone. I would sincerely recommend everyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to meet interesting and open people to visit Oban.

Sara Rozman Atelsek