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.

St. Monans Harbour

St. Monans Harbour- 56º 12'N, 02º 44'W
Tel- 01333 739000

Ah the  East coast of Scotland. So many lovely little villages, so very little water at low tide. Again, you might want to skip this one by boat because the harbour master only works part time. Whether or not he is working is dependent upon the tides. There are 2 dedicated visitors berths in the harbour. A grand total of 2. but you still might want to skip it because:

And why not just anchor out? Because this is what you would be anchoring in-

Maybe you would trust your ground tackle in this, with huge tidal swings. I don't think I would.

Still, I love this tiny little village.

I love that someone has taken an ugly, old slipway and created a Wellie boot garden.

I love "the Fishermens Church" with it's boats hanging from the rafters, a reminder of how powerful the sea is and how tiny are our boats upon it....

I love the graves or sailors and fishermen from years gone by looking eternally out to sea.

I love the walk along the shore. You must hop a stone fence and walk along a narrow path- (and take a break if needed)

past cows and castles ( or remnants of a windmill but when you are walking with a 4 year old they are all castles)

I love that on a clear day you can see the outline of Bass rock, shining white in the sunlight. You look out upon the sea and see it shimmering, glistening like alabaster, looking as if it might be inhabited by some magical being...

Then your mother in law says "That's Bass rock. It's a bird sanctuary. The huge amount of bird droppings make it appear white". Shimmering, glistening bird poop. It's the poop that makes it pretty. So much for waxing romantic.

Anstruther Harbour

A large part of our time in Scotland was spent in checking out harbors and marinas. The plan, as much as we can formulate a plan- has always been to move the boat and ourselves to Scotland post cruise. After so many years abroad, Mark is getting ready to go home. Now where would we like to keep Ceol Mor? Time to look at options.

 Anstruther- 56° 13' 15", -2° 41' 46" VHF Ch. 11 Telephone- 01333 310836
(given the difficulties this harbor presents I would call WELL in advance before setting out)

Anstruther is a tidy little fishing village in the East Neuk of Fife. The harbour itself is not well suited to most cruising boats as it dries out. If you have a bilge keeler or a cat you can beach you might be in luck.

Here you will find no diesel. No wifi. No laundry. No berths for fin keeled boats. When asking about long term berthing, the harbor master chuckled and suggested we get on the waiting list and maybe Kitty could get the slip when she is about 30. They do have toilets and showers. If you are in need of a beer or fish and chips you are in luck because they have both in abundance. Chandlery supplies? Not so much,

It is a shame that Anstruther is not suitable for our boat as I really like this little town. The locals are friendlier than most (small fishing towns in Scotland are not exactly known for being visitor friendly) and used to visitors as its something of a tourist stop, I happen to really like fishermen and there are still a few about here and there.

Even if you can't berth here, Anstruther and the Neuk itself are still worth a visit. You will just probably have better luck by car than boat.

Kitty was convinced they had put in a "stage" for her to perform on the quay. Who am I to disagree?