The Old Ferryhouse is an ideal centre for exploring Appin and Lismore, and indeed Oban and beyond to the south-west, and also Glencoe, Fort William and beyond to the north-east. The local co-op shop, Aird’s Hotel, with cuisine of international standard and the Pier House Hotel which offers a bar as well as excellent meals in which local seafood is prominent, are all within walking distance. Oban is 35 minutes drive away and Fort William about 50 minutes.
Port Appin
Walk round the point past Clach Thoull, the ‘holed stone’ — a sea arch on the prehistoric raised beach. This circular walk takes approximately 40 minutes.
Hire an electric bike to explore the area at Appin electric bike hire. The Appin loop is a great cycle.
Take the foot ferry to Lismore at the pier. Check the timetable here.
Cross the old Jubilee footbridge over tidal Loch Laich to the abandoned Portnacroish railway station; the path starts about half way to the main road.
Take a trip to Castle Stalker on one of their tours or visit the delightful Lighthouse craft shop over the road
Lismore
Lismore is a great place to explore by foot on by bike. Lismore bike hire have excellent mountain bikes at reasonable rates or hire a private taxi. Tourist information is available here.
There are limestone kilns and workers’ cottages (now holiday homes) at Port Ramsay; the turn-off is a mile from the ferry. Likewise at Salen there is a larger complex of limekilns, a harbour and workers’ cottages.
There is a well preserved Iron Age broch at Tirefuar; the left turn-off is further on and signposted. The broch is clearly visible, even from Port Appin.
The medieval ruins of Castle Coeffin can be visited.
The parish church of Lismore is about 3 miles from the ferry; it is formed from part of the old medieval cathedral of the Bishop of Argyll, itself on the site of the Early Christian monastery of St. Moluag.
A Heritage Museum and Cafe, and a little further down the road the Lismore Stores and Post Office, are also on the island.
Glencoe
In the village there is a Folk Museum and a small display on slate-working.
Guided walks in the spectacular mountains are available here.
A short distance up the main road into the glen itself is the National Trust for Scotland’s Glencoe Visitor Centre with good displays and a cafe. Guided walks in the Glen can be arranged there. In the Winter, the OFH is a great base for skiing at Glencoe ski resort.
Fort William
The town has a Tourist Information Centre in the central Square, and next to it, the West Highland Museum.(tel: 01397 702169)
Explore the Nevis range – a great place for mountain biking, skiing and walking. A few miles north take the cable car up to Aonach Mor.
If you drive as far as possible up the single-track road in Glen Nevis (a mile or two North of the town) a medium length walk ascends in beautiful scenery finished up in the hanging valley.
There is a very scenic steam train journey from Fort William to Mallaig – the “Jacobite Steam Train”. Information on: http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm . It is very popular, so book well in advance if possible. You can reserve tickets on line, or tel: 0844 850 3131 (9.30 to 4pm). The deadline for booking seats is 3 pm on the previous day. A few seats are sold ‘on the spot’, but are much in demand.
‘Neptune’s staircase’ — a long flight of large locks — is at the Southern end of the Caledonian Canal near Banavie, a short distance North of Fort William.
Across the water in Kingairloch is the delightful Boathouse restaurant reached by the ferry at Corran.
In Oban
There is a Visitor Information Centre on the North Pier Tel: 01631-563122
Trips to Iona and Staffa, by way of Mull, can be booked . Choose a calm day for the Staffa (Fingal’s Cave) boat trip if possible: the captain may not let people disembark to visit the cave if the sea is rough.
The Oban Distillery in the town centre is worth a visit if you are a fan of single malts.
Oban War &Peace Museum a collection of artefacts and photographs depicting the cultural history of Oban and its people. On the Corran Esplanade, adjacent to North Pier, Oban.
McCaig’s Folly up on the hill.
South of Oban
South of Oban the Kilmartin Museum is a great introduction to the local Neolithic and Iron Age sites including the fort at Dunadd, seat of the Kings of Dal Riata.
