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A town in the Scottish Highlands, which sits in one of the most picturesque settings imaginable

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Oban is a town in the Scottish Highlands, which sits in one of the most picturesque settings imaginable. The houses and buildings are arranged untidily over the slopes of the hills and cliffs, which are sprinkled with trees and grass. Everything crowds eagerly around the harbour, which is located in a perfectly shaped horseshoe bay.
This port has long been the heart of the town. Oban was used extensively during World War II, for the gathering of merchant ship convoys and by the navy. This period in the town's history is remembered at the War and Peace Museum, through a well-maintained collection of objects and photographs.
Today, the harbour is mainly used for travel and tourism. It is a major link for transport to the Inner and Outer Hebrides, particularly the southern islands. There are plenty of other trips you can take from Oban too, including wildlife-chasing boat trips, and Landrover tours of the local highlands.
The harbour is watched over by the town's major landmark, McCaig's Tower. This circular structure was built just over 100 years ago by a wealthy, ageing banker called John McCaig, who wanted to simultaneously construct a monument to his family, and to provide the local stonemasons with paid work over the quiet winter months. The tower was loosely based on Rome's Coliseum, and has a circumference of around 200 metres. McCaig had big ambitions for the project, which included plans to install a museum and an art gallery within the building's walls. Unfortunately, he died before these ideas could be put into motion, and only the tower's outer walls were ever completed.
There's another town landmark just to the north, but it's in an even worse state. This is Dunollie Castle, which was built in the 15th century. It has fallen into ruins and become overgrown with grass and weeds, a fact which actually makes it one of the prettiest sights in Oban. The building looks like it might have sprung up from the ground, along with the wood it stands in.
Oban is also known for its whisky distillery. It was founded over two centuries ago, in 1794, which is actually before the town itself was built. It's very possible that without the distillery, there wouldn't be as much as a single house here today. Even through the intervening years, the business hasn't really grown. It's one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, but it has still managed to earn itself a reputation for quality, all across the globe. Guided tours are available, which take you through the whisky-making process, and explain how each stage adds to the flavour.

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