4 Day Family Break in Oban

A pleasant drive south of Oban, the ‘Slate Islands’ are easily accessible and offer a great day out for all the family. You can drive across the ‘bridge over the Atlantic’ from the mainland to the Isle of Seal (one of the largest islands in the group) and enjoy family-friendly gourmet pub food in the Tignatruish – which translates from the Gaelic as ‘House of Trousers’. Men from the islands would stop off at the Inn to change out of their plaids (the forerunner to today’s kilts) into trousers to avoid arrest by Red Coats on the mainland. After the failed Jacobite uprising and defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Highlanders were suppressed, and many Highland traditions were banned, including wearing plaid, speaking Gaelic, and even playing bagpipes – which were regarded as a weapon of war! Today, the Inn is warm and welcoming and has a good reputation for providing local food and drink. The pub is pet-friendly too, and there’s a lovely walk to the local yacht anchorage in the Pool of the Otter, or Puilladobhrain. You might catch a glimpse of an Otter from the rocky shoreline, but to improve your chances of seeing marine wildlife, hop on board one of Seafaris' RIBs from the harbour at Easdale. For the ‘Whirlpool Special’ RIB ride, your kids must be over 8, but all other marine sea tours can accommodate children as young as 4, so this is a great family adventure.

Once everyone has their sea legs, a short five-minute ferry ride to Easdale Island itself is an extra option. There’s a tiny community-run folk museum telling the history and heritage of the Slate Islands, but the kids might just prefer to explore the island. It’s the smallest inhabited island in the Inner Hebrides, and in an hour, you'll be back at the harbour to take the ferry back to Seal Island.