We have visited Glasgow to Oban in Scotland by public transport, over a weekend. You can easily do a weekend trip to Oban UK in summer months, when days are longer. If you are from Glasgow then you do not need to apply any extra leaves. In this blog post we will help you to plan you trip to Oban town. Before we start with the itinerary, first let me answer few common questions that might be on your mind.
When to visit Oban?
You can chose when to visit Oban based on your interest. You can visit Oban throughout the year but the most popular season would be European summer months (i.e. June to August). Our recommendation would be to visit end of April to the beginning of June, mainly because of the Puffin season(more on that later). If you want to see the Whales then August to September is recommended but we saw the Whales in June itself.
Can we visit Oban by public transport?
Yes you can, and do and see most of the things over the weekend by public transport. If you have a car then you can definitely explore a bit more and won’t be tied down by the bus and train timings. We have done this trip in public transport so our itinerary will cover the same.
How long does it take from Glasgow to Oban Scotland?
If you take the train then you will reach in approximately 3+ hrs and if you drive then roughly it will take 2+ hrs.
How is the weather?
You are in Scotland, so the weather can change anytime. But, in summer months it will be pleasant 14-24 degree centigrade. In winter months it can get cold 2-8 degree centigrade.
What to do in Oban Scotland?
There are plenty of things to do in Oban, does not matter what kind of traveller you are. You can explore coastal small town rich with heritage and history, you have an option to explore nearby glencoe mountains or go on a boat trip to see marine life or island hop.
You can find more details on this article of ours on all the things you can do in Oban uk.
Glasgow to Oban Scotland Itinerary by public transport
Time to start with the itinerary now.
Day 1 (Friday):
By train: You need to leave work bit early(5PM) and take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban. You do not have to worry about change of transport if you take the direct train to Oban. So, make sure you can take the last train which leaves Glasgow at 6.20PM. You can check the train time tables here.
By Bus: You can take the bus to Oban as well. If you are on a budget then this can be your cheaper option of travel. The bus leaves from Buchanan Bus station and takes roughly 3 hrs to reach Oban. You can find the timetable for the bus here.
You can have dinner at Weatherspoon (just next to the railway station) on arrival, as most of the restaurants stops serving food post 8PM. Tonight you stay in Oban, better to stay near the ferry/railway station as we will need it next day.
Day 2 (Saturday):
You need to start early today 7AM and take the first ferry to Isle of Mull if you are interest to see Isle of Staffa, and Puffin colonies. You can chose to do the afternoon trip as well but in that case you miss on seeing one extra gem of an island, unless you are staying the night there. So If you want to do it all then here is what you do:
Option1:
Take the 7:25AM ferry to Craignure ferry Terminal. It takes 1hr to reach so make sure you have breakfast at the ship. No need to buy ticket before hand, you can buy it in the morning. Once you reach Craignure Ferry Terminal take the 8.30AM bus no 96 from adjacent bus stop to Fionnphort. You will reach Fionnphort at 9:45AM, use the available washroom before starting your isle of Staffa trip which takes 3hrs. Once you return from the trip you can get back to Isle of Iona, instead of Fionnphort around 1PM. Then once you done exploring the island you can pay for a 15 mins ferry ride back to Fionnphort. The last bus to take you back to Craignure is at 5:45PM. You can then take the ferry back to Oban, last ferry is at 9:00PM.
Option2:
You can opt to skip Isle of Iona or do it in the morning and take the afternoon trip to Isle of Staffa. In that case you can start late and won’t have the whole day of exploration.
Now you have an option to stay the night at any of this Isles if you manage to find accomodation, we didn’t. Isle of Mull island itself gorgeous enough to spend a day or two, we will definitely visit by car in future.
You can find the ferry timings here.
You can find the Isle of mull bus timings here as google don’t have it.
Day 3 (Sunday):
You can wake up at your leisure as it is your last day in Oban. You can have breakfast and head out to see the McCaigs tower the crown of Oban I must say, resembles roman architecture but the view from up there is breathtaking and well worth it.
After that you can visit the Oban distillery for some local whiskey tasting and buying a bottle for yourself. Then you can have lunch at the sea food restaurant EE-USK. You can then get some Souvenirs and take the train back to Glasgow.
If you are driving then I highly recommend to stay at Isle of Mull and explore that island better. More scenic and beautiful white sand beaches. If you have an extra day you can visit the Glen Coe, or some other nearby islands from Oban.
Total cost of travelling to Glasgow to Oban Scotland?
Here is a cost break up as of 2023-2024, it might change with every year but you get the idea:
| Oban cost per person | In Pounds £ |
| Return Tickets from Glasgow to Oban By Train | £48 |
| Return Tickets from Glasgow to Oban By Bus | £27 |
| Oban Hotel Stay for 2 nights | £200 |
| Return Ferry Ticket to Craignure | £7.5 |
| Return Bus ticket from Craignure to Fionnport | £18 |
| Isle of Staffa Boat Trip | £45 |
| One way Ferry from Iona to Fionnport | £2 |
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