A few days ago I wrote about my disappointment with Oban. I found it to be a bit of a let down, probably because my expectations were so high. However when I look at this picture I took, I realise why that reputation exists. This photo is stunning, here Oban looks idyllic and inviting. I think the trouble arises because although this is a beautiful angle and view of the harbour, it’s what you can’t see that more explains my original opinion. Behind me, if you turn and look, what you’ll see is a very normal small seaside town. Apart from an interesting stone building up on a hill there really was nothing of note about the rest of Oban. Yet if you went and sat and stared out at this lovely spot, you would obviously recognise that in amongst the normality there are slices of picturesque charm dotted around.
Maybe my complaint is that I had to work hard for my touristic enjoyment and if I think about it that seems a poor way to judge a place. I wouldn’t like to think of myself as lazy, maybe Oban is telling me that I shouldn’t take a place for granted just because its charm doesn’t jump out and smack me in the face. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder then that places the responsibility firmly at my feet to actively engage with my environment rather than just experience it in passing, never really connecting with it on a deeper level.
Or maybe Oban is just a bit overrated and the good publicity simply drives capital to the area, but that would be a very cynical way to think about it in my opinion!