Why I love Oban

Being an Oban boy, its easy to be blasé about how fortunate I am to live in such a great place, so I thought I’d do a blog (to remind myself if nothing else) of my top ten reasons why Oban is so great and why I love living here in Oban.

1. The world class views. Often when watching property programmes on TV, those featured will be wowed by a particular view and, at risk of sounding haughty, I often think – meh! as they often pale in comparison with what Oban has to offer. There are so many spectacular views in this area (too many to mention) that hold their own against some of the very best in world.
2. Geographical positioning. Many smaller towns that are positioned very close to bigger cities tend to live in the shadow of their ‘bigger brother’, and fail to develop any real identity of their own. Consequently in such places there isn’t a strong business case to develop many facilities, as such facilities can be ‘bigger and better’ in the nearby city. With its closest big cities being around 2 hours’ drive, Oban strikes the perfect balance between having big-city amenities accessible, but not so close that they are overbearing on Oban itself.
3. The ferries, and the access to the islands. Oban – the gateway to the isles – feels like it’s at the epicentre of the West Highlands and radiates the feeling that a wonderful island adventure is just moments away! Further, the boats and ferries in the bustling harbour are constant source of interest – as Otis Redding’s song ‘Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay’ perfectly captures.
4. Fresh air. This is something that grown-ups seem to go on about, and in all honesty, not something that I really gave much thought to in the past. That is, until I read reports about the extreme measures being taken to combat air pollution in the likes of London (where the Mayor himself stated the air was ‘toxic’) I really started to appreciate the health benefits of breathing such pure air on a daily basis. Go on – get yourself to the war memorial on Ganavan road (or pretty much anywhere else in the Oban area), stop a while to pay your respects and simultaneously enjoy a few lungfuls of some of the purest air on the planet.
5. Beaches. We are truly spoilt having Tralee, Ganavan, & Little Ganavan (and many other) beaches on our doorstep. Being able to easily take yourself/the kids/the dog to a beach at the end of a working day in the summer (or winter, if you’re hardy!), is something that only a very small percentage of the world’s population can do. Having lived for a while in the Midlands of England – where the closest beach is over two hours’ drive away – I really missed being able to readily experience the sound of the sea lapping at the shore and getting sand between your toes. Simple pleasures, but ones that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked and underappreciated.
6. People & community spirit. Like many communities, Oban has experienced its fair share of tragedy in recent years, but what that has demonstrated is that, in times of need, Oban has a very strong community spirit where everybody pulls together and people seem to genuinely care about each other.
7. Low crime. Oban is fortunate that crime rates are quite a bit lower than national averages and the relatively small community – coupled with the strong community spirit – means there’s no hiding!
8. Rain. Bear with me on this one! Whilst it can be wearing – particularly in the middle of summer when we feel we have a right to sunshine – what it does is make the days of sunshine that bit more special. And it keeps everything green and vibrant.
9. Relaxed way of life. If you’ve ever visited a super-city like London or New York, you’ll feel the palpable energy that they radiate. It’s not something tangible that you can put your finger on, but if you’ve been there you will have felt it. Whilst it’s fun to experience for a short period of time, after a while it can be quite draining. Oban is very different, and has a calming, relaxed atmosphere. The wise people of the West Highlands have obviously cottoned on to the health risks associated with stress and seem to an inherent ability to avoid it.
10. Waterside location. I’ve yet to work out why humans have such an affinity to being beside the water. Perhaps it’s because water is essential to human life, or perhaps we feel a kinship to water as the human body is, after all, around 60% water! But whatever the reason, it just feels great being beside the water, something that’s reflected in waterside property normally being more desirable that its land-locked counterparts (as reported in a previous blog ). If you seek a property beside the water, please browse our listings! (http://www.fiuran.co.uk/oban/properties/ )