The end of our Oban/Inner Hebredies Trip

The day after our fabulous trip to Staff a we went to Oban for a good look around.  First stop was a tour of the Oban Distillery!  The Distillery was beautiful inside with a lovely museum/meeting area (and fabulous toilets!).  Anyway we were taken on a tour around- no phones, no photos as no electronics are allowed in case sparks cause a fire with the whisky fumes! 

Some of the old equipment used in days 

gone by to make whisky.

Map showing the Diageo Group 

distilleries in Scotland.

The end products.  We got try some 58.25% 
proof straight from a barrel but that was before 
it was finished!  By golly it was strong stuff.  
At the end of the tour we tasted the Oban 
Single Malt (seen 3rd from the right here).  
We were given a lovely glass to keep as well.

This is McCaig's Tower built by a local 
wealthy man, Mr McCaig, but it was 
never finished after his death.  We climbed 
the very steep hill to the top to admire the 
views from there:-

A most unusual "tower"!

Lovely views are seen  through the arches.

Looking out over the dsitillery (chimney left)
to Oban Port and beyond to Kerrara and Mull (I think!)

Kerrara in the mid line and Mull behind.

Next we decided we wanted to get back 
out on the water so we found a little 2 hours 
trip to see castles and sea birds.  First stop 
a salmon farm!  Here the fish are auto-fed 
and as the pellets were spun out the salmon 
leaped in the air for them!  

The water was just mirror like by the 
salmon farm!

A local castle undergoing repairs!  
I took this photo more for the flag that was flying!

Then an amazing sight the White 
Tailed Sea Eagle sitting proudly 
on a favourite rock.  Magnificent!

We were so lucky to see this amazing eagle!

Then his mate flew in to say hello too!

You can just make out the grey seals 
that were few in number the day we went 
but they certainly kept an eye on our boat!

As we returned to Port the ferry "Clansman" to
the Outer Hebredies passed us by and rocked 
our little boat with her bow wave!

Oban from the sea.

Our little boat (very uncomfortable 
saddle style seats!)

Back on land and this little dog was having 
fun in the seaweed on the shore!!

The next morning we had to make our 

way home - some misty scenes in the 

valleys could be seen from the train.

Beautiful reflections in the lochs.

Then an unexpected guest joined our train!  This little dog, who turned out to be called Angus got on the train at a stop - the train guard shoo-ed him off the train but Angus was too clever - he ran along the platform and jumped back on again at the other door at the opposite end of the train carriage.  He was only discovered again when the train guard had shut the doors and we had moved off!  So poor Angus was unceremoniously corralled into the guard's cabin until 2 stops later when both he and the guard got off to board another train back to Oban.  The guard was then going to put Angus off at his home stop.  Apparently little Angus makes a regular habit of boarding trains much to the annoyance of the train guard LOL!!!!

When we got to Glasgow we headed to the 
Willow Tea Room for lunch and cake!

It was hard to choose but I had lemon meringue!

Willow Tea Rooms are famous for 
their Rene Mackintosh styling.

The cute napkin holder!

Then it was back on the next train heading to 
England through the beautiful Cumbrian 
countryside.

A viaduct near Carlisle.

Our virgin Pendolino Train.  I love these!
Sadly we were nearly home.  It was the 
most amazing weekend ever.  We could 
never have imagined how lucky we would be 
with the weather and the wild life.  So so lucky.

Programming note - I am having trouble with my password so I hope it will be fixed soon but if I can't remember it then I don't know how I will recover access to my blog - YIKES! I am on twitter as @Scarf_Addict so you can find me there!