With time and tide in our favour, we cast our lines at Corpach and glided out of the sea-lock into the sheltered Atlantic waters of Lochaber sailing past Fort William, the town with the highest rainfall in Britain, on a typical day. The scenery here is both dramatic and beautiful, with Ben Nevis the highest mountain in Britain as a back-drop to the east and the rugged Morven peninsula to the west. Squeezing through the Corran Narrows into Loch Linnhe we continued our sail in the direction of the lively port of Oban with weather conditions improving markedly.
Oban had much to offer for the reminder of the day. We had arrived most fortuitously on the day of the annual Highland Gathering, a day-long spectacle of traditional highland games, music, and clan socialising, which several guests took the opportunity to attend. The Gathering ended with a march by the local pipe band into the town centre in brilliant sunshine, enjoyed by everyone, although the pipers were still dressed in precautionary rain gear. Other options included a seafront walk to the local mediaeval castle, or up to the pretentious but exuberant mock Coliseum overlooking the town; known as McCaig’s Folly, it was built by an investment banker of that name to commemorate his successful career. The town itself grew up around its eponymous whisky distillery, which has remained largely unchanged since its eighteenth century origins. We were able to tour the distillery at the end of the afternoon before an extended but mellow
Recap preparing us for our full day in Iona the following day.
