Day 691 ROAD TRIP to Oban of Mum’s birthday 🥳

Should start by saying I’ll do a curling blog in a day or so. It was such good fun and we had a great night. Didn’t get to bed until midnight!

Up bright eyed and bushy tailed (not entirely…) at 7am with a huge list to be achieved before we left for Oban. I had the huge list obviously…. 😉🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

We managed to leave at 9.30am. I’d done a washing and hung it up, cleaned the bathroom, did a garden poo pick, stripped the bed, wrapped mum’s pressies, had a shower and packed my bag!

Anyway…. What a beautiful, beautiful day. The skies are blue and the sun is shining AND there is snow!!

Should say all of these are taken from a moving car while Craig is driving. 🥳

These next few photos are taken on the iconic drive up the side of Loch Lomond. Not for the faint of heart. We sat for a good few minutes as two coaches negotiated their way past each other.

We then head left at Crianlarich but could be forgiven for thinking we’re in the Alps.

Then the road goes straight ahead for Glencoe and Fort William but we take the A85 to Oban.

As we pass through Dalmally we start to come out of the snow. It’s still a beautiful day. There’s even a warmth in the sun at times.

Then we head up the side of Loch Etive and spot the Connel Bridge. Beautiful white mountains in the distance.

The Falls of Lora are best seen at high spring tides and I think we were lucky to see a fast flow today. 66 million cubic metres of water try to squeeze through this gap with every ebb and flow tide creating the “falls”.

I love this next photo. The visible swell of the sea. L

Five miles up the road we arrive in Oban just after 12. We made good time despite the stops!

We met mum and dad at the hotel and did birthday pressies!

Dad has bought Mum a spa day and said she may want to take a “friend”…. It’s Bowfield Hotel near our house!! Love it!!

We then went straight out for a wander as the weather is due to change later on. It’s so still and calm. It’s so lovely not to have wind and rain.

We went to the Oban Chocolate Company for hot chocolate and cake. I took this next photo from the window sitting drinking hot chocolate.

The inside of the shop is lovely. They have chocolate everywhere!

I had a white hot chocolate. It was so decadent but tasted amazing. There are no photos of the hot chocolates as the Oban Chocolate Company are having to work as a takeaway so everything’s in takeaway cups. You are welcome to enjoy your takeaway at one of their seating areas before you leave. Interesting way to get around no longer having toilet facilities!

When then took a walk along the front towards Dunollie.

This is the reason I love Oban so much. There’s always something else to look at… something to watch. There are so many islands visible from the town and so many more beyond. It seems a transient town where people are always on the move, going or coming back from somewhere. It offers the promise of places to explore. I love that.

Then we walked in towards Dunollie Castle.

Then the light started to change… but so atmospheric.

Time for some family pics. Mum, Dad and Craig obviously!

Then with me!

We walked back in towards Oban and found a path behind the houses that takes you right along to the Corran Halls. None of us knew it was there but what a lovely path, through Dunollie woods, out of the cold wind, secluded by the large rocks that Oban is built on.

A warning of things to come maybe?

Mum and I headed for a wander round the shops while Dad and Craig went to sample the local pint. The heavens opened shortly afterwards!!

We were so lucky to get the weather we did today. We came back to the hotel for a drink and are now having forty winks before dinner!!

So I now have half an hour to wash my hair and get ready for dinner…. The joys of having so many lovely photos to look through.

Hope you all have a lovely Saturday night, I’m so grateful for Monday off work!

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️