We hung out on a mooring ball in Oban Harbor for a few days to see the sights and reprovision. We toured the Oban Distillery (founded in 1794) but unfortunately they were in silent season, so we did not get to see the whiskey making process there either. The distillery is right on the waterfront and the city has grown around it, consequently there is no room to expand. This means that they will not be able to increase production in their current location, but I think it contributes to their exclusivity. We learned that the liquid that comes out of the still is called “spirit.” It does not become whiskey until it is aged and cannot be called scotch unless it was produced in Scotland. The next time we are near a distillery, I’ll skip the tour if they are not actively distilling spirit.
Aside from whiskey, Oban is a big fishing port. It has good road, rail and water connections for distributing the catch. There are also a lot of individual anglers in search of mackerel and pollack. I have a line and picked up some spoons but have not yet tried my luck. We are on an easy, low wind sail today so I may throw a line in the water to see what happens.
We left Oban after loading up on groceries at the local Tesco Superstore and headed for Loch Aline (pronounced Allen). There are a small marina and some mooring balls, but we decided to head up into the loch to get away from the ferry dock and sand plant. At the far end of the loch is Ardtornish House, completed in 1891 and a beautiful example of Scottish Highland country house architecture. It is surrounded by 35,000 acres of wilderness and a historic castle ruin. It is now and event venue and offers “self-catering” cottages. Now I know where the Harry Potter movies got some of their architectural inspiration for Hogwarts.
Morvern is the town at the mouth of the loch and it just so happens that this is Movern Games and Gala week. We watched the swim across the lock where 20 people, all women, were taken by boat to the far side of the lock and swam back. They were all wearing orange swim caps so they were easy to spot and they were accompanied by several boats to make sure that everyone stayed safe. The water is COLD and although some wore wet suits, several women wore only a swimsuit. Every participant received a medal and an ovation when they emerged from the water. It was a super fun community event and the venison burgers were delicious!
Another thing that this area is known for is high quality silica sand which is used to manufacture glass. Up until 1940, Britain found it cheaper to import sand for making glass from Europe. With supply lines cut off in 1940 due to WWII, the Admiralty needed a source of silica for making binoculars, periscopes, gun sights and other items needed for the war effort. The silica mine became the largest employer in Morvern and the town grew around the mine. It stayed open until the economic downturn in 2008, but then a new company came in in 2012 and reopened the mine. We enjoyed watching the silica getting pumped into a giant sandcastle.
Today, we are having an easy downwind sail to Loch A Choire where we will drop the anchor for the night. We are having some true Scottish weather today with cool temps of 60°F, mist and fog.
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