Oban Marinas....

Let's get the not so great bits out of the way. If you are thinking of leaving your boat in Oban and traveling inland Scotland, stop it. Stop it right now. The biggest downside to Oban is that it's kind of off the beaten track if you want to see something other than the Western Isles. Trains seem to go every place in Scotland finally stopping at the location you desire after changing trains every 2 hours and heading North, then South, then North again just to go East. Also, the local marinas are all kind of a trek from the city center and you had better have access to a car and be very up on the ferry schedule.

Oban is a tourist destination but strangely, despite us being there on a bank holiday and the streets being flooded with tourists, the town rolls up the streets at 9 pm sharp. We finally managed to find a pub on a back street but in Oban itself, seems like the holiday makers were content to hang out in their hotel bars.



The whole town has a bit of a "Torquay" feel to it, just instead of being on the English Riviera it's the Scottish Riviera. I felt like I was in some weird time warp. This was probably not helped by the fact that we stayed in a guest house which will forever be in my memory as providing one of the Top 10 most uncomfortable beds I have ever slept in. Despite feeling like a throw back to an old sitcom, I really liked Oban. A lot. It's just charming, despite the tourists and bit of weirdness.



Okay, those are the negatives. All of this being said, you should sail to Oban. You should plan on staying in the area for quite some time. The islands in the area are absolutely breathtaking. Seriously.

We checked out Dunstaffnage marina Tel- 01631 566555 . The downside is that the marina is 3 miles from Oban itself. The good news is their docks are in great shape, they have a 40 ton lift and a small chandlery onsite. The woman running the chandlery assures me if they don;t have it , they can get it ordered for you. They also have plenty of service contacts if you need service- be it electrical, diesel, rigging or what ever else you need Plus, you are within close proximity to some of the most beautiful sailing in Scotland. Seriously.

The other big option in the area is Oban Marina  Tel - 01631 565333 VHF Ch 80. The big plus here is that their complimentary ferry service drops you off right in Oban. The down side, you need a ferry to get to Oban. We didn't get a chance to really inspect the marina (we had Mark's mom with us, she is not as interested in marinas as we are!) but it looks like a promising option although you are more likely to get a mooring as opposed to a berth,

I don't think this would work as a permanent base for us as it's a bit difficult to access by land but you had better believe we will spend a good bit of time sailing in the area. It's just that pretty.

Greenock Marina

James Watt Dock Marina Greenock, Scotland- 55N 56' 392, -4W 44' 9.012 Tel +44 (0) 1475 729838

The west coast is the best coast. In Scotland for sailing anyway. As much as I love the little fishing villages along the east coast, the huge tidal swings and lack of deep water berthing options is pretty limiting. It's a long, long way from Peterhead to South Queensferry.

So what is a sailor who wants to check out inland Scotland to do? Well, you could do a lot worse than the James Watt Dock in Greenock. Actually, if I were sailing to Scotland and I wanted to leave my boat for a bit of inland exploration this would be my hands down, top pick.



Let's get the negatives out of the way. The marina is not in a lovely, coastal resort type setting. Greenock is a working man's town. You won't find many ice cream parlors, fish and chip shops or shops peddling tartan underwear and bumper stickers near by. It is not a tourist destination. In fact, a good friend who is from the area cautioned us  "oh, be careful Greenock can be a rough town". We did not find it to be quite as dire as that sentence would imply, but it does have a rather industrial feel and the negatives associated with it are in effect. Pay attention to your surroundings and don't borrow trouble. That being said...

The James Watt is a new marina and the docks themselves are in tip top shape. Access to the docks and boats is controlled and they have taken pains to have adequate security. They have diesel, petrol and Calor gas available. Waste disposal is available. Plenty of water even at low tide to keep your keel floating. Showers, toilets, power and water but no laundry facilities or wifi at this time.

Comfortably sized fairways

The big draw for this, aside from the security (which was just about the best we saw in Scotland) is it's location just over a mile from the train station. You could leave your boat here with confidence, then take a train or bus to just about anywhere you want to go in Scotland. The rail and bus system in Scotland is absolutely fantastic and there really is no need to hire a car which is good because driving in Scotland is well, nerve wracking to say the least and I am someone who loves to drive.



There is a McDonald's in spitting distance to the marina. No, no one wants to eat their food but they do have good wifi. There is also a new, clean and tidy Premiere Inn (best hotel value in the UK) right at the docks if you have landlubbers coming to visit. There are a couple of groceries a little over a mile away and the city center is just a bit farther which has a post office, cafes and shops in the mall for anything you might need. Not a lot of chandleries but we are talking about where to leave your boat safely for inland exploration and this has far more pluses than minuses.

If you want to do a bit more sailing in the area, the Inverclyde offers plenty of places to go all while being accessible to civilization. All in all, not a bad deal and the staff we met were courteous, helpful and friendly.

Spunky littleyellow boat going out for an evening sail

                                              

Kitty was taken by this cute little red boat. So much so that she said that would be her boat when she was very big, like 9 years old.

Drum- the maxi yacht formerly owned by Simon Le Bon, now owned by Arnold Clark, the car King of the UK

I admit it. Drum inspired a bit of winch envy in me.

See? Working man's docks.

In the distance, lot's of beautiful sailing to be had in the Inverclyde