I've been here quite a few times throughout the years of visiting Oban. Honestly there's not much…read moreto it but a nice place to see. Something you should at least do once whenever you're in Oban. You could actually walk up, a little trek but nice. It's not far from the harbor. The walk takes you through the cute little neighborhood before reaching the top. Or, you could drive. Whatever is easiest. Once your you're reach it, there's a small parking lot with some home surrounding. It's a small amphitheater that has one of the best views of the harbor. I'm not quite sure if any events are held here like weddings and sort. But checking it out and seeing what's it's all about is quite nice. The large lookout is quite cool for pictures. There's a grassy knoll inside with a path and some benches. But if you walk through some of archway, you have the million dollar view of the town, harbor and island. We didn't spend much time as it was freezing and the wind sure didn't help....lol... They do have lights that shine out to enhance the tower which is quite nice. A nice stroll or a little break is always nice and to have a view like that, it's beautiful. Just taking the scenery in was spectacular. You don't need to spend a lot of time here but it's worth checking out. The views alone, totally worth it.

Worth the visit for the stunning views of Oban Bay! You can…read morewalk up from town or drive up the narrow roads where there is a parking lot just below McCaigs Tower with steps leading up. Built in 1897 by John Stuart McCaig, it immediately resembles the Roman Coliseum to most as it can also be seen when you look up from the town. It has a beautiful garden space in the center that is well maintained.

This was actually a a pretty cool spot. Didn't even know about it till we were walking along the…read morewaterfront. One of the millions of castle in Scotland. It's on the hillside above the waterfront. The path to it was along some residential stairways. Once you walk uk to the top, your along the grassy knoll that leads you to more wooden stairs. It's like the entrance to the castle...lol... It's a pretty serene property with its green grass and the castle with the Scottish flag flying high above. Of course it's an old ruins but still pretty spectacular to look at. Now it's mainly habitable by pigeons nesting. But still beautiful and picturesque. There's a picnic area down the bottom of the property as well as million dollar views surrounding you. The view of the hillside and waterfront is one not to miss. Nice little stop for a break to check out the history if you happen to stop by.

A surprising hidden gem (for me at least!) as I didn't even know there was a castle in Tarbert. We…read morewere visiting for the afternoon and took a walk down the main street (it didn't take long!). At the end we discovered a sign directing us the castle, so we walked up some steep and slippery steps. At the top we discovered some ruins but I wasn't expecting anything more than rubble. I was impressed to see part of the tower still standing and looking over the inlet and towards Portavadie. Absolutely breathtaking views (literally) and well worth the short walk up the hill. Sheep also graze in this area, so you'd be best wearing boots or sturdy shoes. Had we of known, we could have done some of the signposted walks in the area. Apart from the sheep droppings, the area was really well maintained and seemed to attract a few visitors, even with the dreich weather.

My mom, sister and I visited Castle Dunans on a trip through Scotland in October. This was my…read moreabsolute favorite place we went. It was raining a little bit but the grounds were absolutely gorgeous. The bridge and river were as lovely to look at the castle. The castle, having been damaged by a fire, is a beautiful ruin at the moment. The owners are working diligently to repair it. Gordon was our wonderful tour guide and he was so knowledgeable about the property and the area. I had a fantastic time and am so looking forward to coming back to stay in the castle once it is restored.

Loch Gilp lies between two headlands, north west of Loch Fyne in Argyll. The town of Lochgilphead…read morelies on the northern shore and the village of Ardrishaig on the west. The A83 runs parallel to the north end of Loch Gilp and around both headlands too. The Timberlink service operation at Ardrishaig is interesting - this is one of four ports where the timber is transported by boat to Troon for processing, thereby removing 8000 lorry journeys each year from the roads - so much better for the environment! There's a lighthouse at Ardrishaig at the 'entrance' to Loch Fyne - you can walk up to, but not around, it (as the walkway becomes very narrow indeed!) and Lock #1 of the famous Crinan Canal is also found at Ardrishaig. Must be nice to sail on the loch too (what a great area this is for people with boats!) but we mostly walked along the banks recently to take in the lovely views.

OK, I'll start with the disclaimer, I grew up around here so I'm a bit (possibly a lot) biased…read more This is a lovely wee seaside town, with all the usual attributes, fish and chip shop, paddling pool on the front green along with a pitch and putt, chemist, sports and tackle shop, local artist purveying gift shops, couple of hotels and restaurant/snack shops and plenty of parking in the (semi) hidden car park, local butcher and newsagent. If you are heading further south then there is a petrol station here with a Tesco Express, and another on the Oban side of the town. It's the site of the areas secondary school as well so lunch times during term time you will find a gaggle of school kids wandering the streets, I personally went to Tarbert at the gateway to the Mull of Kintyre with whom they still have a healthy rivalry.

This is an excellent walk from the town of Largs to this tall memorial to the Battle of Largs…read more(1263) between the Vikings and the Scots. The monument itself has been nicknamed the 'Pencil' owing to its distinctive shape and the name has stuck! The views across the River Clyde are marvellous and you can watch the Cumbrae ferries coming in and out. It's an easy path for anyone to be able to follow and you can continue past the Pencil to the Marina for a coffee and snack (or full meal) at the nearby Marina.

Rothesay Castle is not the easiest castle to access. You will need to take the ferry from Wemyss…read moreBay near Gourock/Greenock Western Scotland or come by car from the North. It is located on the Isle of Bute and was build in the 12th century by the Stewart Clan. It played a big part in History and was held in Royal Hands for a long time (up to the 20th century) until it was handed over to Historic Scotland. I believe that the title of Duke of Rothesay is still held by one of our Royals (Prince Charles ?). The entry is free for Historic Scotland members. I am sure parking is nearby, as the castle is pretty much the centre point of Rothesay town on the Isle of Bute. Coming off the ferry it only took me 3-5min to get from the ferry terminal to the main entrance of the castle. Nowadays, all that you see are ruins and you need to imagine what it might have looked like during its prime time. The castle changed hands between the English and Scottish leadership quite often. In 1311 it was conquered by Robert the Bruce and since then became a Royal seat for his son and grand son. Robert the Bruce daughter Marjorie married a Stewart member and of such founded the Stewart Dynastie. Achitecturally, I like that the castle was surrounded by a broad moat, had a dove cot, 4 round towers, thick walls and in early days direct access to the sea. Still standing nowadays is the portcullis. Inside the couryeard you will notice the remains of an old church with a massive cross in the middle. It is a lovely castle to visit and I can recommend it to anybody who is travelling during this area. You really do not need a car to visit this place. Just jump on the ferry at Wemyss Bay. In case you are hungry there are plenty of restuarants and coffee shops nearby.

Delicious food, Traditional British fare for a great price. Wait staff were nice and efficient…read more Food portions were huge and delicious. Highly recommend.

I love going over to Rothesay on the ferry as Bute is one of my favourite places. It seems natural,…read moreonce stepping off the ferry onto dry land, to wander along the Esplanade for a while before doing anything else, to just appreciate being there again, to look back at the town with its fine buildings and to look across the water at the fabulous views across Rothesay Bay and towards the Cowal and the mountains of Argyll. The only thing which lets it down is the rather tired aspect of some of the areas around the seafront, in particular (I think) the railings alongside the Esplanade which desperately need repainting, and have done for several years at least. I heard that Rothesay has received £1.5m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to make improvements about the town, so hopefully that will run to some paint for the railings before much longer!!

More standing stones and stone circles than you can imagine await you in Kilmartin Glen! The…read moreNether Largie standing stones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmartin_Glen) are really simple, elegant and gorgeous. It's so nice to be able to walk right up to prehistoric stone monuments without feeling like there is a warden perched on one's shoulder -- you can touch the rocks with your bare fingertips! There are so many henges to be had in England & Scotland - this one happens to be in a very scenic rural location, in the middle of a pasture. And - it's free. Without giant busloads of tourists.

These impressive standing stones are located in a field on the west side of the Kilmartin Burn…read more There are six main stones altogether and most are cup-marked, with the large central stone showing 40 cupmarks and 3 cup-and-ring markings. There are many other iron age sites in this area but this stone circle was the only one we visited recently (owing to bad weather!) In actual fact, over 350 ancient monuments lie within a 10 km radius of Kilmartin village! There's a free car park by the roadside; all you need to do is cross the road (A618) into the field and the stones are quite close (about 250m). It's a good idea to wear boots/wellingtons as the ground can be boggy.