Highlands & Islands
Part 3: Oban & Lorn(e)
Continuing our Scottish theme, started in Autumn 2005 with ‘Islands’, then ‘Highlands’, we now have a further holiday experience from local CAMRA member Andy Grant.
At the end of May I had the good fortune to be invited to spend a few days in Oban with former Keighley & Craven branch member Alan Shiach, who moved there at the beginning of this year, and is now happily driving buses for the locally-based West Coast Motors Ltd. With a population of about 8,000, Oban is the premier ferry port and tourist resort of the West Highlands and has more than the expected number of real ale outlets in a Scottish town of its size. Situated about 90 miles north-west of Glasgow, it can be reached from Scotland’s largest city in about three hours, either by train on the scenic West Highland line, or by Scottish CityLink coach, sometimes driven by Alan.
The beautiful area surrounding Oban is known as the land of Lorn(e) – sometimes spelled with an (e) and sometimes without! While it is low-lying compared with surrounding areas of the Highlands, it has a rugged beauty of its own and a spectacularly beautiful coastline, warmed by the gulf stream, which encourages the growth of amazing displays of wild flowers – particularly rhododendrons in May and June.
Arriving in Oban by train on a Wednesday afternoon, I met Alan when he finished work at tea-time and we strolled along the Corran Esplanade to Markie Dan’s Ale House at the north end of the town. This wood-panelled pseudo-Victorian cellar bar is named after a well-known local fisherman and is full of nautical bric-a-brac and old photographs of Oban. The friendly, relaxed atmosphere is spoilt only by the over-loud piped music. The single handpump was dispensing Isle of Mull Brewery’s Royal Regiment of Scotland, a pale, hoppy brew in pretty good nick, while pumpclips for Deuchar’s IPA, Atlas Three Sisters, Fyne Highlander and Isle of Mull IPA (Island Pale Ale!) gave an indication of previous offerings. As the evening wore on, we gravitated back towards the town centre and into the Oban Inn. The boisterous, but friendly, stone-flagged downstairs bar of this 18th century fishermens’ local remains unchanged, except for the welcome disappearance of the traditional tobacco smog! The two handpumps had Deuchar’s IPA and Theakston’s Best Bitter – the former in fine fettle and the latter not sampled (by anyone while we were there!). The town’s third cask ale outlet, the Lorn(e) on Stevenson Street, was closed for refurbishment, and so had to wait for another day.
Thursday morning dawned bright and breezy, with a promise of showers to come. Alan was working until four again, so I decided to take the Scottish CityLink coach southwards to Lochgilphead, the county town of Argyll. The journey was beautiful, but the twisting, undulating road is not recommended for those with weak stomachs! The National Inventory-listed “Comm” on the seafront is an elegant Georgian building with an incredible and totally untouched multi-roomed art-deco interior, dating from its last refurbishment in the late 1920s. Long-standing landlord Donny MacIntosh retired earlier this year after 22 years at the helm and new licensees Stephen and Karen don’t intend to change anything. Unfortunately that includes not introducing cask ale, but they are now selling bottled Wychwood Hobgoblin, which is a small step in the right direction.
On the return journey to Oban, I decided to forgo the GBG-listed Cairnbaan Hotel in favour of the also GBG-listed Kilmartin Hotel, the licensee of which informed me that the Cairnbaan was charging £3 a pint for cask ale to the well-heeled English yachties navigating the adjacent Crinan Canal! The beers on sale at Kilmartin were Deuchar’s IPA, Caledonian 80/- and a guest ale, Fyne Highlander, all in excellent condition. Peter, the enthusiastic landlord was due to be presented with Glasgow & West of Scotland branch’s Pub of the Year award on 17th June and had decided to replace the Deuchar’s IPA with a second rotating guest ale in the near future. Before leaving the Kilmartin Hotel, I witnessed the hilarious spectacle of a middle-aged female German tourist ordering a glass of Laphroaig single malt whisky and then pouring a bottle of Britvic 55 orange juice into it! The barman and I were trying desperately to avoid looking at each other so that we both did not dissolve into helpless laughter!
All too soon, I had to catch the bus back to Oban and meet Alan after work. Markie Dan’s was visited again for an evening meal, washed down by more of the same beer, followed by a second visit to the Oban Inn, where the Deuchar’s IPA had been replaced by Orkney Raven and still nobody was drinking the Theakston’s Best Bitter!
On the Friday morning, my last full day in Oban, I decided to take the bus across the famous “bridge over the Atlantic” to the south end of the picturesque island of Seil and specifically to the former slate-quarrying village of Ellenabeich opposite the smaller Easdale island. Here can be found the Oyster Brewery, Bar and Restaurant, owned and run by Andy and Mandy Gascoigne, late of the Waggon & Horses and Oxenhope Moorland Brewery. Andy had set off in his van at six o’clock that morning for the long drive to the Hambleton Brewery near Thirsk, to pick up a new bottling plant. However I had a pleasant chat with Mandy, who served me with a pint of Easd’ale, a pale, hoppy, refreshing 3.8% brew, followed by Red Pearl, a 4.4% malty beer with a toffee aftertaste, reminiscent of an Irish red ale, accompanied by an excellent ploughman’s lunch.
On the return trip, I broke my journey at the GBG-listed “Tigh an Truish” at Clachan Seil, just on the island side of the bridge over the Atlantic. The name of this cosy 18th century inn translates from the Gaelic as “House of the trousers” and recalls the post-Culloden proscription of the Gaelic language and Highland dress, when islanders visiting the mainland would pop in and change out of their kilts into one of the many pairs of trousers kept behind the bar! Fiona, the vivacious and friendly barmaid, was serving Atlas Latitude and Three Sisters, both in good condition and my day was made complete by a guest appearance by one of my favourite Scottish actresses, and former BBC Scotland newsreaders, Juliet Cadzow, who currently plays bus driver Edie McCreadie in the BBC2 childrens’ series, Balamory. Apparently, she and her husband have a holiday cottage nearby!
Returning to Oban on a 1979-vintage Alexander-bodied Leyland Leopard (bus anoraks take note!), driven by Alan, I discovered that the Lorn(e) was re-opening that evening following its refurbishment. A quick teatime visit revealed a large gathering of locals crowded around its traditional Scottish island bar, making the most of a free buffet offered by the licensee. I reluctantly passed on this as I had a dinner engagement later in the evening, but the Deuchar’s IPA and Fyne Vital Spark were both sampled and were in good nick.
Alan’s lady-friend Louise arrived in the early evening after the long drive from Yorkshire and, after a short interval, the three of us set off by car to the area’s beer find of the year. Situated in the middle of nowhere about six miles south of Oban and about a mile and a half off the west of the Lochgilphead road (the turn-off is signposted “Lerags”), the Barn is a brand-new bar/restaurant with a vibrant, friendly atmosphere, live music on certain nights, excellent value-for-money meals and the best quality beer encountered on the trip. The two rotating ales are sourced from the Atlas, Fyne or Orkney breweries and, on the evening of our visit, Fyne Highlander and Piper’s Gold were on sale, both in excellent condition and selling like hot cakes! These washed down a wonderful meal in good company – a fitting end to my all-too-short visit.
The following day saw me heading back southwards on the train and I am very grateful to Alan and Louise for their kind hospitality. Alan has since informed me that a new real ale outlet has opened in the modern retail and restaurant complex between Oban rail station and the ferry terminal.
I am writing this sitting on the terrace outside the Breadalbane Hotel at Kildonan, on the southern tip of the Isle of Arran, sipping a pint of Deuchar’s IPA and gazing across the Isle of Pladda towards Ailsa Craig … but that’s another story for another day!
