Despatches for IAGM 2010 in Oban

‘In the Wake of the Sea Bear’

Oban is the most popular holiday town on the west coast of Scotland and is famous for its spectacular scenery and the variety of exciting destinations that can be reached in a day. We shall be taking ferries to offshore islands, cruising on spectacular sea-lochs, and visiting the inside of the highest local mountain! We will also see some of the local wildlife of sea and land, perhaps even a Great Northern Diver. There will be a day’s dinghy sailing for our Juniors. Four excellent speakers will entertain us with further insights into Arthur Ransome’s life and work. Nor least, we will provide the venue for the Annual General Meeting of the Society, followed by the Members’ Forum. The Dick Callum Cup will be as testing of your knowledge of the Ransome books as usual and we hope as much fun as ever.

A 3-day visit is all too short to do justice to Oban’s attractions and we hope you will be able to extend your stay. We provide a short-list of some of the additional trips and places of interest that we recommend. You will also be aware that a visit to the Isle of Lewis, the key location of Great Northern? is being organised to follow our International Gathering. The Lewis trip is being organised by a TARS Scotland member but not by the Committee. We wish it well, and some of us hope to be there.

The Gathering Halls are in the centre of Oban, only a short walk from the esplanade, the ferry terminal, and the bus and train stations. There are two main rooms: the large ballroom will be used for dining and for the talks and AGM, without need for rearranging the furniture. The drawing room will provide ample space for relaxing over coffee or tea, junior activities, the various stalls, and also contains the bar. TARS will have exclusive use of the Halls. The premises are continuously staffed during working hours. Meals will be provided by the regular caterers used by the Halls and we are assured they are used to gatherings even larger than ours.

TARS Scotland Members – an appeal !

The International Gathering comes to Scotland once every 6 years. The TARS Scotland Committee is conscious of the fact that our members are scattered over a wide area and most of you cannot get to our regular annual metings which are mainly held in the south of Scotland. This is your opportunity to take part in a TARS event, meet lots of tarry people and even meet your committee! For our part, we want you to come to help us make this big event a success. We want your attendance and your help at the weekend itself. There are lots of minor but useful jobs to do and if we get lots of help we won’t need to call on any individual more than once. So get in touch with us (bottom of page i) as soon as possible.

Car parking: There are at least 6 car parks around the town but most of them require payment. The nearest free car park to the Gathering Halls is 400 m distance on the south side of  Longsdale Road and has 75 parking spaces. The other free carpark is at Lochside Street in the southern part of the town. This has 95 parking places. It is 1 km away from the Gathering Halls but is convenient for anyone travelling out of town on buses or Mull/Iona Ferry, being about 300 m away from these.

Arriving by rail:

There is a regular train service via Glasgow. For further information contact National Rail Enquiries on 0845 748 4950 or online at www.nationalrail.co.uk. We will have someone at the station to meet the afternoon train and to provide help and guidance to arriving TARS.

Arriving by road:

Citylink buses from Glasgow take about 3 hours to Oban and there are several each day. The last departs Glasgow at 1800 and arrives at 2050. Departures from Oban are roughly hourly through the afternoon, the last being at 1815.

The car journey time is perhaps half an hour less than the bus. There are two main road routes to Oban from the Glasgow area. One follows Loch Lomond-side to Tarbet then turns west to Arrochar and Inveraray, then north via Dalmally and Connel to Oban. The Glenaray stretch is rather slow. The alternative continues north after Tarbet to Crianlarich then west via Tyndrum to Dalmally. From the Edinburgh area a third alternative takes the M9 to Stirling, then to Callander, Lochearnhead and Crianlarich. From Edinburgh allow a minimum of 3½ hours to Oban.

Camping

 There are two camping and caravan sites a couple of miles south of Oban. We have visited these and they appear to be good sites. Neither is served by a frequent bus service.

Roseview Caravan Park, Glenshellach Road, Oban, PA34 4QJ, tel 01631 562755. email: info@roseviewoban.co.uk.            Web: www.roseviewoban.co.uk

The site is small and very neat and tidy. It does not have sea views but promises to be well supplied with bird life.

There is also a bunkroom with 6 bunks which can be hired as a unit.

Oban Caravan and Camping Park, Gallanachmore Farm, Oban tel 01631 562425. email: info@obancaravanpark.com

This is a larger site on a hill overlooking the sea. There is self-catering cottages, static caravan holiday homes and plenty of spaces for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents. There are three amenities blocks with free showers and covered dishwashing areas.

B&Bs and Hotels

There are plenty of hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments in and around Oban. There are also Youth Hostels and a Backpackers Hostel (opposite the Gathering Halls) in Oban. One cautionary note. If you decide to stay out in the countryside, be aware that the minor roads are often narrow and twisty, they cannot be rushed. See page i of Despatches for contact information.

We are using the caterers who regularly serve meals at the Gathering Halls. The dining area of the ‘ballroom’ will be set up throughout the weekend. The Gala Dinner will be served at the tables, otherwise we shall form a queue. Throughout the weekend coffee/tea/fruit juice/tap water will be available in the ‘drawing room’ free of charge. The bar will be open when required (not free!).

There is a table on the booking form where details of vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be specified. There is a separate table for the menu choices for the Sunday Gala Dinner, which we need to have in advance. On the noticeboard in the Gathering Halls we will provide a list to remind you of your choices.

Friday: 2 course Dinner at 1900: meat or vegetarian lasagne with green salad, bread roll and butter; dessert: fruit salad and cream.

Saturday: Packed lunches will be available for collection at 0830. Contents: filled roll (ham and tomato or egg mayonnaise or cheese and pickle or corned beef; piece of fruit; chocolate biscuit; soft drink.

Saturday: 2 course Dinner at 1900: fork buffet of  beef , salmon or chicken, with 3 varieties of salad; bread rolls or potatoes; dessert: strawberry meringue or fruits of the forest gateau.

Sunday: 2 course Lunch at 1230: leek & potato soup; sandwiches (same fillings as for packed lunches).

Sunday: 3 course Gala Dinner at 1900:

Starter: Chef’s chicken liver pate, or fantail of melon.

Main course: Supreme of chicken stuffed with black pudding & haggis, or salmon fillet en croute, or mushroom stroganoff with rice (V); served with carrot & turnip mash, brussel sprouts, roast and boiled potatoes.

Dessert: Raspberry trifle, or chocolate profiteroles.

Monday: 2 course Lunch at 1300: Soup and sandwiches as on Sunday.

The five activities that take place outside Oban (or Oban Bay) can be reached by public transport, ie buses and ferries. We hope that members who have come to Oban by private car will join us on the buses. It is more sociable, better for the planet and it gives your car driver the chance to relax and enjoy the scenery. All timings are based on 2009 timetables and will be updated as necessary in the final programme.

1.  Isle of Iona

This is a full day excursion, for which packed lunches will be available for collection at The Gathering Halls at 0830. The walk to the ferry terminal takes about 15 minutes. The ferry leaves at 0930 from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull arriving at 1016. We then board coaches for the drive through the southern part of Mull taking 80 minutes to get to Fionnphort. The ferry across to Iona takes 10 minutes. We will have about 2½ hours (on foot) on the island. The return trip gets back to Oban at 1746. The ticket for TARS members covers the return journey by the two ferries and the coach, but does not include the entrance fee to the Iona Abbey (£4 to £5 per person). The scenery throughout is wonderful, including some of the highest mountains of the West Highlands, Morvern and the Isle of Mull. The white sand beaches around Fionnphort and on Iona itself are justly famous. Bird life abounds in the Firth of Lorn. On even a short visit to Iona there is a chance of hearing or even seeing Corncrakes.

Photos below: Left – Iona Abbey; Right – Iona

2.  Dinghy Sailing for Juniors

This is a full day (0900 to 1800) activity for groups of unaccompanied children aged 8 to 16 with a private company ‘Stramash’ based in Oban (visit www.stramash.eu). Packed lunches will be available for collection at the Gathering Halls at 0830. The sailing will be in the sheltered Oban Bay between the Isle of Kerrera and the mainland. The ticket for TARS members includes transport from and return to the Gathering Halls, all instruction, hire of equipment and protective gear. Stramash are fully insured and licensed and have been operating for 6 years.

Photos below: Left – Oban Bay; Right – Gylen Castle on Kerrera

Packed lunches will be available for collection at the Gathering Halls at 0830. We take the local bus at 1015 from Oban to the Kerrera ferry (10 minutes). The ferry takes 5 minutes and costs £5 per person return. We will walk from the Kerrera jetty on tracks, paths and occasionally cross-country for 11.6 km (7 miles) with a total ascent of 275 m (900 feet), requiring 3½ to 4½ hours of leisurely walking. We recommend walking boots or strong shoes; the path is wet in several places and we have to cross some marshy ground near the beach. The route loops around the southern half of the island, taking in a tea-room where we will stop for morning grog. We shall picnic at the ruined Gylen Castle, beautifully situated on the rocky coast. The island has a varied and unspoiled landscape including a perfect Horseshoe Cove. Our guides will try to ensure we see plenty of birds. We shall catch the return ferry at 1600, in time to meet the bus back to Oban. Although the bus and ferry are not pre-paid, we need to pre-book to ensure the ferryman is on time!

4.  Loch Etive Charter Cruise

Loch Etive is probably the most beautiful and dramatic sea-loch (fjord) in Scotland and the 3 hour round trip from the jetty at Taynuilt takes passengers to its head. Having picked up our packed lunches at the Gathering Halls we take the bus from Oban at 1245 and 20 minutes later walk the 1 km (½ mile) from Taynuilt to the jetty. The charter cruise will leave when we arrive at about 1345. Our skipper will provide a commentary on the history, geography and wildlife and will make a stop at a seal colony. Three hours later, we walk back to Taynuilt for the return bus at 1722, arriving Oban 1745. If necessary, we will provide a car shuttle for members who cannot walk the 2 km (1 mile). The number of passengers is limited to 12, so book early if this is your choice for Saturday.

Photos below: Left – Loch Etive; Right – Ben Cruachan from Kerrera

5.  Cruachan ‘The Hollow Mountain’

Ben Cruachan is the highest mountain in the Oban area and its twin peaks dominate the landscape for miles around. It is the location of a pumped-storage hydroelectricity scheme, of which the generating station is buried 1 km (½ mile) deep inside the mountain. The visit is a short but exciting one and is full of surprises both visual and factual. There is a small visitor centre and tea-room from which an Osprey nest can be viewed across Loch Awe. We will take the bus leaving Oban at 0910 arriving Cruachan at 0938. We will join a small coach for the half-hour journey inside the mountain. Entry is free for visitors arriving by public transport, otherwise it is from £2 to £5.50 per person. There will be time for grog and osprey watching before catching the bus at 1117 or 1217, arriving back in Oban at 1150 or 1250. Monday lunch at the Gathering Halls is at 1300.

Stop Press: We are investigating the possibility of taking cars on the track to the reservoir on the mountain side, for spectacular views. It should be possible to fit this into the morning for bus passengers taking the 1217 back to Oban.

6.  Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary

This provides a good half-day out especially for families with children. It provides an exceptional aquarium experience where the fish are closer to the viewer and more ‘real’ than the usual ‘tank in the wall’. Virtually all the animals are local Scottish species and the variety is amazing. During a visit there are several feeding times for seals and other animals. There are also a coffee shop, an adventure play trail and a forest walk. The entrance charge is from £9 to £12 per person, unfortunately not waived for public transport passengers. Buses run hourly from Oban from 0920 onwards, taking 32 minutes to the Sanctuary. Return buses leave hourly through the afternoon eg the 1217 bus arrives in Oban at 1250. Monday lunch at the Gathering Halls is at 1300.

Friday

Registration will be available from 1600 onwards.

Dinner at 1900.

Talk at 2030: Margaret Ratcliffe – ‘Lewis – Reminiscences of TARS 1998’.

Saturday

Registration will be available from 0815 onwards.

Packed lunches will be available from 0830.

Activities: 4 alternatives

            Isle of Iona – board ferry in Oban at 0930, return to Oban 1746.

            Dinghy Sailing (Juniors) – will be collected by Stramash at 0900, returned by 1800.

            Isle of Kerrera Walk – board bus in Oban at 1015, return to Oban 1615.

            Loch Etive charter cruise – board bus in Oban at 1245, return to Oban at 1745.

Dinner at 1900.

Talk at 2030: Kirsty Nichol Findlay – ‘Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Ransome – stylists both’.

Sunday

Informal Service led by Elsie Miller 1000-1030.

Talk at 1100: Ted Evans: ‘In the Wake of the Sea Bear’ - Cruising in the Western Isles.

Lunch at 1230.

10th International AGM (see separate aagenda)

Members’ Forum

Gala Dinner at 1900, with after-dinner speaker Gabriel Woolf.

Dick Callum Cup at 2100.

Closing Ceremony and Handing Over of the Flag at 2230.

Monday

Activities: 2 alternatives

            Cruchan – The Hollow Mountain – board bus in Oban at 0910, return to Oban 1150 or 1250.

            Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary – board bus at 0920, return to Oban at 1250.

Lunch at 1300.

Junior Activities

There will be an Outlaw’s Den area at the Gathering Halls and a number of activities available mainly on Sunday.

Photo below: Corncrake on Iona

Those who can stay for more than the TARS weekend may want to catch up on the activities that they couldn’t include in their programme. Obviously if you would have liked to visit Iona AND Kerrera AND go on the Loch Etive Cruise, you couldn’t get to two of them on Saturday.

1.  The trip to Iona can be booked through Caledonian MacBrayne (Calmac) tel: 01631 562 244. It takes place every day, but note that on days other than Saturday the departure from Oban is at 0950. Return is at the same time (1746).

2.  A longer variation on the Iona trip is the ‘Three Isles Excursion’ which follows the same route to Fionnphort where you board a boat to Staffa to see Fingal’s Cave. You then return for a visit to Iona before catching a later coach and ferry arriving in Oban at 1946.

3.  Dedicated birdwatchers should consider a third alternative (daily except Saturday). This excursion follows the usual route to Fionnphort, but then you board a boat to the Treshnish Isles where you spend two hours on Lunga Island among Puffins, Shags, Guillemots, Razorbills etc. The return sail allows a short visit to Fingal’s Cave on Staffa before returning to Fionnphort. Return to Oban at 1946 as for the previous trip.

4.  ‘Undiscovered Coll’. For those with even larger ambitions, there is a Thursday cruise to the Isle of Coll (famous like Tiree for white sand beaches). On this day the trip leaves Oban at 0830 sailing through the Sound of Mull direct to Coll. There is a vehicular guided tour and also ‘free time’ to explore the island. Return to Oban is at 2215.

5.  The Isle of Kerrera ferry runs half-hourly but there are very few buses!

6.  Loch Etive cruises take place daily at 1000 and 1200 and 1400, except on Saturday. The two earlier cruises are 2 hours long, the third one is the 3 hour cruise to the head of the loch.

7.  Wildlife and Birdwatch Safaris on the Isle of Mull. The best chance of seeing a Sea Eagle and possibly a Great Northern Diver is on a day with this company. Contact 01680 300441. www.mullwildlife.co.uk.