Oban: Seafood Capital of Scotland

Oban has long been known as the 'Gateway to the Isles' and Calmac ferries still take thousands of folk out to the islands, but more recently the town has become known as the 'Seafood Capital of Scotland'. This is quite a claim for a town clinging to the west coast of Scotland, but for such a tiny town (8,500 pop) it does have a remarkable number of award winning restaurants - many of whom make use of the bounty from the sea on their doorstep.

The area is also one of Scotland's most productive (and historic) for aquaculture. The first mussel farm in Britain began where I grew up at Loch Etive. There are several salmon and trout farms in the area and oyster trestles can be seen at low tide at many bays around the coast. The fishing industry in Oban is not what it was a century ago when the herring boats would land huge catches at the harbour. Now, most of the boats are fishing for prawns (Langoustine or Dublin Bay Prawn) and lobsters. And nothing beats them fresh from the sea.....

People come from as far away as America and Australia to visit John Ogden's famous Oban seafood shack, so come and sample some seafood delights for yourself when staying at Oban Holiday Home.