2013-06-13 From Dalmally to Oban and Crail

June 13, 2013 - Thursday

We had arranged to have breakfast at 8:30 am.  Ina made pin-head oat porridge which was pretty tasty with milk and various jams. She used her grandmother’s recipe, which called for soaking the oats overnight. We also had a full cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Ina had an appointment in Dalmally and had to leave during our breakfast.  We said our goodbyes and gave her our thanks for the great stay.  After breakfast, we went outside for another look around and Jim pointed out the peacock in the nearby field.  It did not spread its tail but stayed around, pecking at the ground.  We then packed the car and said our goodbyes to Jim and went on our way.  We passed by Kilchurn castle again, and then we pulled into the Loch Awe Hotel parking lot.  Loch Ave Hotel was built in 1881 and is one of the great railway hotels of the late 19^th century and has its very own station on the scenic Highland Line to Oban. We had a very beautiful view of the loch and the castle from the garden of the hotel.  We then drove less than a mile away and stopped to visit the magnificent St. Conan’s Kirk, which was named for the patron saint of Lorn, and has been described as “the most extraordinary country church to be found in Scotland”.  The church is quite amazing and so is the view.  After that, we drove to Oban, where we found a parking lot and then started walking around the village.  Oban, Scottish Gaelic for The Little Bay, is a result town and occupies a beautiful setting in the Firth of Lorn.  The modern town of Oban grew up around the distillery which was founded in 1794.  Shortly after the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s, McCaig’s Tower, a folly and a prominent landmark (a Colosseum lookalike), was constructed.  Oban is an important ferry port, acting as the hub for ferries to many of the Hebrides.  We watched a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, the Isle of Mull, dock.  We then paid a quick visit to the Oban Distillery; walked around the harbour and then we went to the whiskey shop where we sampled 3 different whiskies from barrels and Petros bought 3 100 ml bottles. He also sampled some bottled stuff, including a Glendronnach, but decided against buying any.  We had a quick lunch in a small pasty shop.  It seems strange that we did not have seafood in what is known as the Seafood Capital of Scotland.  After that, we set off on the road to St. Andrews.

The original itinerary had called for some sightseeing in Perth, but we decided not to go into Perth as it was a bigger town and Florine did not fancy visiting them.  We stayed on the highway for St. Andrews. 

 St. Andrews is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife and is named after St. Andrew the Apostle.  The town is home to the University of St. Andrews, the third oldest university in the English speaking world and the oldest in Scotland.  It is also known worldwide as the “home of golf”, in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, exercised legislative authority over the game worldwide (except in the USA and Mexico).   It passed on its rulemaking authority to an offshoot organization, The R&A in 2004.  The St. Andrews Links is also the most frequent venue for the Open Championship, the oldest of golf’s four major championships. It was pretty windy when we go into St. Andrews. Petros drove through the town after we decided that we did not feel like walking. 
 We drove along the coast to Crail where we missed the market place parking lot the first time around and had to double back.  We arrive at Hazelton Guest House earlier than expected but had no problems with checking in.  The owners, Karen and David were most welcoming and helpful.  They said we could park our car at the front of the house, and that was nice.  Karen also gave us recommendations for dinner at Mayview Hotel in St. Monans. It is supposed to be a good seafood restaurant.  We drove to St. Monans, which is named after St. Monance, who was killed by the invading Danes in 875.  Traditionally, St. Monans was a fishing village but has since become a popular tourist destination.  We found the Mayview Hotel and chose to eat in the dining room.  We had shrimp wrapped in salmon and garlic shrimp for starters.  Petros, Irene and I had langoustines while Florine had the lobster thermidor. We also had a pannacotta for dessert.   After dinner, we walked over to the harbour, where it was really windy.  We also walked along the Fife Coastal Path to the windmill and salt pans before heading back to the car.  We then drove to Pittenweem, walked around the harbour and looked at the lighthouse before driving back to Crail. Irene and I went up to Florine and Petros’ room to have tea and cookies.
Where we stayed:  The Hazelton Guest House, 29 Marketgate North, Crail, KY10 3TH; 44 01333 450250; Karen & David