Experience the best of Oban

Oban curves around a sheltered bay on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, protected by the island of Kerrera, and is the main ferry port for the Inner and Outer Hebrides. McCaig's Tower, a circular granite folly that looks like a Roman Colosseum, stands on the hill above the town, begun in 1897 and never finished, and the Oban Distillery, founded in 1794, sits behind the harbour front.

Ferries cross to Mull, with its colourful harbour town of Tobermory and Duart Castle, while Iona, an early Christian site, lies off Mull's south-western tip and boat trips visit Staffa, where Fingal's Cave is lined with basalt columns. On the mainland, Dunstaffnage Castle is a 13th-century fortress, and Glencoe lies to the north-east. To the south, Clachan Bridge, known as the Bridge over the Atlantic, leads to the slate island of Seil.

Scallops, langoustines, mussels and oysters from the nearby waters are the pride of Oban's tables, and fish and chips on the pier are a ritual. Whisky is the other local drink. Summer evenings stay light until late, the weather can change within the hour, and the sunsets over the Hebrides light up the bay.