Oban To Tyndrum

By Road
From Oban take the A85. Dunollie castle is 1 mile off the main road, following the coast northwards. Continue on the A85 as far as Glen Orchy, turning left here onto the B8074. Continue to Bridge of Orchy, turning right here onto the A82 to reach Tyndrum.

By Cycle
Follow NCN 78 eastwards to Taynuilt on minor roads. Here join the A85 eastwards. After passing Loch Awe a detour off the A85 can be made on the B8077. Turn left on the B8074 to go up Glen Orchy to Bridge of Orchy. Turn right onto the A82 to Tyndrum.

By Foot
Walkers can visit the island of Kerrera. The ferry leaves from 2 miles south of Oban. Ferry

By Public Transport
There are railway stations at Oban, Connel, Taynuilt, Lochawe, Dalmally, Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy, as well as bus services.To check times go to Traveline Scotland and click on Plan your Journey on left side of page.

From Iona to Oban you traverse the lovely yet austere Ross of Mull, cross the south of the island, and make a beautiful sea crossing past the islands of Lismore and Kerrera which were both the homes of Celtic monasteries.

Oban is a West Highland capital with two Cathedrals and other lovely churches. It is aso a gateway to Argyll with its lochs, villages, castles and mountains. Going inland by Dunollie Castle, you turn at Dalmally into Glenorchy. These rolling straths with their mountainous terrain were once known as the refuge, or retreat, of the hermits. Like the Desert Fathers, Celtic saints sought God in the wild places. Glenorchy is a beautiful quiet valley leading towards higher hill country with its wide, silent spaces. At Bridge of Orchy you join the main road south to Tyndrum.

By an alternative northern loop to Tyndrum, you visit the islands and lochs of the Celtic apostles, where they found places of refuge and refreshing. By Ardchattan and Lismore- which was the great sanctuary of St Moluag- and Eilean Munde in Loch Leven, burial place of Fintan Munnu, you tread the boundary of sea and land.

Lismore is a short boat trip from Port Appin. The ancient church, once a cathedral of St Moluag, is two miles north of the pier at Clachan. Also buried there is Alexander Cramichael whose collection of Gaelic prayers and blessings sparked a Celtic revival across the globe. The inscription on his gravestone reads, ‘Be my soul in peace with the brightness of the mountains. Valiant Michael, meet thou my soul.’

Back on the mainland, in dramatic Glencoe you can visit the village and beyond a memorial to the massacre. Recall with sorrow the bloodshed when politics and religion clash. This too is part of Scotland’s faith story, which we see reflected in the contemporary world. The National Trust Visitor Centre on the other side of the road celebrates the unique ecology of Glencoe and not just its sad history.