A week in Oban, Part 3: Eriska, Cnoc Carnach and Dunollie Castle, Ganavan Hill

3 May 2019

 

Participants: Neil and Ben

Where: Isle of Eriska, 47m/154', P47m, Tump and SIB, OS 49, 905431; Cnoc Carnach, 128m/420', P78m, Tump, OS 49, NM 859 316, Ganavan Hill, 72m/336', P 34, Tump, OS 49, NM 868 335

 

First off this morning I drove north to have a look at the Isle of Eriska whose highest point is a Tump. Eriska is in private hands and has a hotel and self catering complex. I parked in the Shian Wood Reserve car park just outside the complex rather than use the hotel car park. A road and track led almost to the high point which had a topograph and a hotel sign. The view looked over the roofs of some of the chalets! Over Lismore to the Morvern hills.....

Cruachan again!.....

 

I then drove back to Oban to tackle the other two Tumps above the esplanade. For Cnoc Carnach, I parked in the Dunollie castle car park- £5 well spent. You can't help but notice the ruins of Dunollie castle when on the seafront in Oban, what I had not realised was that it was not just a fairly inaccessible tower- more of that later.

 

 There were cows in the lower field but we managed to skirt round them and although there were traces of them everywhere on top, they had thankfully not ventured high today. We didn't have to ascend much before the views of Mull opened up.....

 

 

Cnoc Carnach is called the Battleship Hill locally as it is said to have been a vantage point for navy signallers. It is certainly a fine viewpoint looking along the Sound of Mull.....

 

 

Plenty to see in other directions as well, Oban and Kerrera.....

 

 

across Loch Linnhe to the hills of Morvern.....

 

 

and of course Cruachan again.....

 

 

the ferry for Lismore passed through the Sound of Kerrera as we were descending.....

 

 

There was a bit more to Dunollie castle than I expected and the grounds were worth a wander. The castle is the most important fortress of the Clan MacDougall and consolidation work of what remains is in progress. It is thought that the castle probably dates back to the early 1400's although there is evidence of earlier fortification on the site.

 

 

The day was still young so I drove on to the car park at Ganavan beach to climb the third of the Oban Tumps, Ganavan Hill. This was entirely different underfoot- lots of tufty grass that made progress slow. There were paths lower down that helped, but I had to endure a fair bit of rough walking as there are a number of tops and it is not obvious which is the highest point. The views were similar to those from Cnoc Carnach although not as good.......