Email
Kilchrenan House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
Other places to stay in and around Oban
Colin and Frances Davren welcome you to Kilchrenan House in Oban on the
West Coast of Scotland, where we hope you will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere
created by a combination of modern comforts and Victorian style, offering
the perfect place for a peaceful break.
This elegant Victorian building has a superb location by the sea overlooking Oban Bay on Oban's Corran Esplanade.
Great care has been taken to preserve, restore and highlight the original features and charm of Kilchrenan Guest House such as the twisted spindle banister on the staircase, intricate cornices, stripped pine doors and wooden window shutters.
Kilchrenan House Accommodation
Within the spacious surroundings of Kilchrenan Guest House, the ten bedrooms are decorated to a very high standard, each with its individual appeal and many with antique furnishings. En-suite facilities, telephone, television, radio and tea/coffee making facilities are standard in every bedroom. Most of the bedrooms also offer the delight of waking up to a sea view over Oban Bay.
Accommodation at Kilchrenan House is laid out as follows below:
. Bedroom One is a double bedroom on the ground floor with sea views.
. Bedroom Two is a family bedroom on the first floor. It has one double
and one single bed.
. Bedroom Three is a double bedroom at the back of the house.
. Bedroom Four is a twin bedroom on the first floor with a sea view
. Bedroom Five is a large double bedroom on the first floor with a sea
view and large luxurious ensuite bathroom.
. Bedroom Six has a king size bed and is on the first floor with a view
over the sea.
. Bedroom Seven is a double bedroom on the top floor at the back of Kilchenan
House with a view over the trees.
. Bedroom Eight is a double bedroom on the top floor with sea views.
. Bedroom Nine is a double room with a sea view.
. Bedroom Ten is on the top floor of Kilchrenan House and has a double
bed and also a single bed in a separate section of the room. Room Ten
has sea views.
The dining room at Kilchrenan House, with views over Oban Bay.
Oban
Oban (literally 'small bay' in Gaelic) boasts the best harbour of the
Highland seaboard and the town is an unrivalled centre for West Highland
touring.
As you sweep down the hill approaching Oban, ringed as it is by low wooded hills, the vista opens up before you and it is easy to see why Oban continues to attract visitors like a magnet. The mountains, lochs and islands have captivated tourists for centuries and are as timelessly striking now as when the ancient castles of the area stood sentinel.
Explore Nether Lorn and the Pass of Brander, Loch Awe and Loch Fyne; go north to Glencoe and return by Strath Orchy; these and a multitude of variations.
But when you stand by the seafront, it is the channelled isles that call you; the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull, the Lynn of Lorn and Loch Linnhe, the open seaways to Mull and Lismore, Staffa and Iona, Coll, Tiree and even Barra and South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
The exploratory adventure is yours if you choose and that is the great allure of Oban. Visitors return again and again, seeking and finding still more to do and see and marvel at.
In the town there is a good range of shops and many restaurants, cafes and bars, several offering live music during the season. A visit to the 200 year old working distillery, where the classic Oban Malt is produced, is highly recommended.
Atlantis Leisure Centre incorporates health and fitness suites, swimming pool, squash and tennis courts and many other facilities. There is also a bowling green for those who prefer something a little less energetic.
Sea bathing may be enjoyed at Ganavan Sands and there are several excellent golf courses in Lorn.
Glencruitten Golf Course in Oban is scenic in nature though hilly and certainly offers a challenge to all levels of golfer. This part of Argyll offers a wide variety of walking and rambling in countryside of mountain and loch, forest and moor, island and inlet.
Botanists and gardening enthusiasts will find much to inspire them in the many gardens in the area, some set in the finest scenery imaginable. There is a spectacular diversity of bird life too, from seabird colonies to the high-hill havens of the birds of prey.
History and heritage are everywhere and there is an abundance of historic sites for the visitor to explore. Off the rocky Ross of Mull lies the little island of Iona, steeped in history as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. From this isle, Columba spread the Gospel across the ancient kingdom and Iona still generates its own peace and tranquillity to pilgrim and tourist alike.
Suggested Itineraries
So many tourists these days look upon Oban as simply a stopping off place
en route to their next destination. Though the town itself offers the
discerning visitor a wealth of things to do and see, its real advantage
lies in its central position to so much of interest in Argyll and the
Western Isles. Below are some suggestions for a week's touring using Oban
as a base.
Day 1
Circular tour visiting atmospheric Glencoe, notorious for the massacre
that took place there in 1692; Cruachan Hydro-Electric Power Station
deep within the mountain; the wild and beautiful Glen Orchy; the stunning
bulk of Buchaille Etive Mor; the wildness of Rannoch Moor; pretty Port
Appin and Castle Stalker set in its breathtakingly beautiful
location.
The Oban Sea Sanctuary at Benderloch is another possible stop especially for family groups.
Day 2
No stay in Oban is complete without a trip to Iona. Most of our guests
include a trip to the world heritage sites of Iona and Staffa by way of
the beautiful island of Mull. Iona, the Holy Island, is the cradle of
Christianity in this land and has a peace and tranquillity, whether in
the Abbey or on its famed silver sands, that is appreciated by pilgrim
and tourist alike.
Staffa, with its basalt columns and Fingal's Cave, has inspired visitors throughout centuries including Dr Johnson, Queen Victoria and Felix Mendelssohn who wrote his famous overture after visiting the island.
Day 3
Easdale, Seil Island and Luing. South of Oban is the Island of Easdale,
where slate was quarried for many years. There is a regular ferry to the
island where you can visit the museum and walk around to see the sea-filled
slate quarries devastated by the great storm of November 1881.
Easdale is the base for Sea.fari Adventures offering high adventure in rigid inflatables and the thrill of close encounters with Scotland's magnificent bird and sea life.
En route, you will cross the Bridge over the Atlantic which separates the mainland from the Island of Seil. The nearby pub 'Tigh an Truish' - the House of Trousers is where the Highlanders would discard the hated trousers they were forced to wear after the '45 Rebellion and put on their plaid kilts once again. Another ferry leaves Cuan for the beautiful island of Luing where cycles may be hired by the energetic.
Day 4
Inveraray - The Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll; Inveraray
Jail, Scotland's living 19th century courtroom and prison; Inveraray
Maritime Museum aboard the Arctic Penguin, a 1911 3-masted schooner;
the Bell Tower of All Saints' Episcopal Church containing Scotland's finest
bells and the 2nd heaviest ring of 10 in the world.
There is much more to see and do in this charming town. The most direct route to Inveraray is via Lochawe (visit St Conan's Kirk on the loch side or even take a steam launch to the much photographed and stunning Kilchurn Castle) and returning by Auchindrain Township, Crarae Gardens and Lochgilphead.
Day 5
Kilmartin Glen is where Argyll's ancient past comes alive. Over
5000 years of human history are traced across the Kilmartin valley
and at least 150 prehistoric sites lie within 6 miles of this quiet village;
burial cairns, rock-carvings, standing stones and the 1st century fort
of Dunadd where you can place your feet in the 'King's Shoes', strange
footprints in the rock into which the new king would stand for his inauguration.
The museum is a must and the cafe there offers good home baking. On the way to Kilmartin, visit the National Trust for Scotland Arduaine Garden, the picturesque Ardfern and Craignish Peninsulas, home to a number of artists and craftworkers. A visit to the Crinan Canal is also a possibility and the tiny sheltered inlet of Tayvallich.
Day 6
Kerrera, the island nestling in Oban Bay and giving much
shelter to the town, has much to offer the independent-minded visitor
who appreciates wildlife, history and scenery. Duncan the Ferryman will
carry you across to this unique island where locals and wildlife live
in harmony in a beautiful and unspoilt landscape.
Kerrera is ideal for a day's walk, exploring and looking out for sea and golden eagles, hen harriers, peregrines and gannets. Sea otters and seals abound and you may spot dolphins, porpoise and even the odd whale. The Tea Garden is open during the season for homemade soups, sandwiches, cakes and scones.
Day 7
Finally, the very beautiful island of Mull, often overlooked by tourists,
needs at least another day to fully appreciate all that it offers. Duart
Castle, seat of the Clan McLean, stands sentinel on the approaches;
the glorious gardens of Torosay Castle reached by Mull's own little railway;
the pretty town of Tobermory with its colourwashed houses, distillery
and much more.
The most common theme running through the comments in our Visitors' Book is 'We'll be back'.
This part of Argyll offers so much more than we can describe here and visitors return again and again to savour more of its beauty and majesty. We hope you will want to come and spend a few days with us at Kilchrenan House and see Oban and the West Highlands for yourselves. You will not be disappointed.
DIRECTIONS
Getting there from the Information Centre:
Argyll Square, Oban. Exit from main door, proceed across Shore Street
and turn left into Queens Park Square (Rail and coach area). Proceed North
along George Street (Shops on right, water on left). Keep left proceeding
along water edge onto Esplanade(One way system also for cars etc).
Large pink granite, St.Columba Cathedral ahead on sea front. We are the 4th building past the Cathedral.
Getting There by Railway:
Oban Railway Station. Walking - Oban Bay/sea keep this on your left and
walk from Railway pier to North pier proceed continuing to keep water
on left. Large granite (pink) cathedral ahead on seafront. We are 4th
building past the St.Columbas Cathedral. Under five minutes taxi ride
from Station.
Getting there by Aeroplane:
Glasgow Airport - A85 Dumbarton/Loch Lomond/Crainlarich/Tyndrum/Oban.
Approximately 100 miles.
Getting There by Ferry:
Oban Railway pier/ferry terminal. Walking - as from station. By Car -
Exit as directed from ferry. Follow sign for town centre proceed from
Gallanach Road > Shore Street > Argyll Square > first left from
Argyll Square > Queens Park Square onto George Street (Shops on right)
Proceed keeping water on left on one way past St.Columba Cathedral.
Email Kilchrenan House enquiries & reservations: bookscotland@madbookings.com
