Get in the Back of the Van!: Oban

Hi reader,

The van is holding together nicely now and my journey through Scotland continues. From Loch Lomond I decided to visit Oban which is where you can get a ferry to the Isle of Mull. The drive from Loch Lomond to Oban is amazing and I had to resist the temptation to pull over every five minutes to take photos of the scenery.

I arrived in Oban around teatime, so I headed down to the seafront and sampled the local chips and curry sauce.

The feeling I got in this town is that people who live in vans aren't welcome. There are signs everywhere saying 'no parking', 'no sleeping in your vehicle' etc. Some of them are official council signs but I saw a lot that looked unofficial, I'm guessing they were put there by locals fed up with people like me rolling up to camp for free.

I used the Park4Night app to find some likely places to stay the night and it led me to Ganavan Beach, where I could park up overlooking the ocean and the Isle of Mull beyond. There were already a few other vans there and a guy sleeping in his car for the night, so I figured it would be okay. There were also public toilets, which closed for the night at 8pm.

This was my sunset view and that's the Isle of Mull in the distance. Unfortunately, the ferry is fully booked for several days, so I won't be visiting the island this time around.

The next day I took a walk around Oban. It's very picturesque, but I also found it very touristy (and pricey compared to other places I've visited so far). I saw these cool Scotland-themed t-shirts based on classic movies (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future and Star Wars)

At lunchtime, I used the Happy Cow app to find local vegan restaurants.

Six or seven options came up, and I decided to go for this one ...

... which an Australian lady had recommended to me earlier in the day. I had vegan sausage and caramelized onion sandwiches with the soup of the day: carrot and coriander. A really good lunch, and the cafe was lovely. I recommend it if you're in Oban.

Since I wasn't visiting Mull and finding a place to park was tricky, I decided to leave Oban earlier than planned. My next destination was meant to be Fort William, but it wasn't to be. Soon after leaving Oban, I found myself driving through the Scottish Highlands, which are absolutely stunning. The camera on my iPhone 7 doesn't do it justice; it feels like you're driving through an epic movie. At times the drive reminded me of when I drove through the Rocky Mountains, Colorado about 20 years ago, that feeling of awe and perspective.

I guess I was paying too much attention to the amazing scenery, because somewhere I missed a turning or took the wrong exit from a roundabout. I couldn't get any phone signal for most of the drive and an hour or so later, I think I was back somewhere near Loch Lomond! I stopped for the night in a small village called Crianlarich. Not to worry - it just meant I could have another drive through the Highlands tomorrow.

As it was getting pretty chilly and my van has no heating - or insulation (thanks, Del Boy), I decided to boil the kettle and fill my hot water bottle.