McCaig’s Tower & Battery Hill

The walk up to McCaig's Tower from Oban takes about twenty minutes if you're reasonably fit, and it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs. The tower itself is a Victorian folly - a massive circular structure that looks rather like a Roman colosseum plonked on a Scottish hillside - built in 1897 by a local banker who wanted to leave his mark. You can't actually go inside it, but that's not really the point.

What you get is the views. From Battery Hill, you're looking down over Oban's bay, across to the islands, and back towards the town itself. On a clear day it's properly spectacular. On a grey day - which is most days - it's still impressive in that moody, atmospheric way that makes you understand why people are obsessed with Scottish highlands.

Historically minded visitors will find this interesting as a piece of Victorian ego, but it's not a deep historical experience. Families with younger kids might find the walk tiresome without much payoff at the top, though older children who like views and a decent hike will get something from it. It's the sort of thing that takes an hour round trip from Oban town centre, so it fits easily into a holiday park stay at Oban Holiday Park or Tanunda Pods.

Go early morning if you can - fewer people and better light. The tower itself is free to access the exterior, and there's no entrance fee. It's worth the detour if you're based nearby, but don't make a special trip from further afield.