It’s no secret that Scotland has an amazing collection of marine life. Yet many of us won’t get close to the creatures and plants that thrive in the water around our shores.
You could change that in 2025 – with a trip to the Puffin Dive Centre in Oban. It’s highly regarded, as one of the few centres in the world that’s been named a PADI Career Development Centre and Gold Palm Five Star Instructor Development Centre (in recognition of their excellent training proficiency). It is also one of the few dive centres that teaches courses from basic entry level right through to experienced instructor levels, meaning that total novices can try a scuba dive for the very first time.
Beginners’ nerves are inevitable, but the unusual one-to-one dive training on offer at the Puffin Dive Centre should help calm your fears and build your confidence. During your dive you will swim amongst varieties of local fish, crabs – sometimes even octopus – as well as varied plant life. And if even a beginners scuba dive feels like a bridge too far, they even offer unique opportunities for non-divers who fancy a ‘Scuba Experience’.
(Image: Imogen Broad – Puffin Dive Centre) This is a handheld dive in shallow water with a qualified instructor, taking place after a short briefing. It offers an opportunity to explore the incredible diversity of underwater life on a tour through the bay. You’ll encounter an array of aquatic flora and fauna, including various species of fish, crustaceans, and plant life native to the area.
For non-diving family or friends there is a picnic area with many picnic tables and the beach area, from which they can watch the days' activities. And, if you are staying in the area, there’s plenty to keep you busy in Oban…
STAY
No17 The Promenade
Fawlty Towers this ain’t. While many hotels in seaside towns are guilty of being a bit tired and unimaginative, No17 The Promenade boasts a boutique, glamorous design and luxury at every turn. Guests can enjoy complimentary fizz on arrival, an Alexa radio in each room, luxury toiletries and specialist cocktails in the hotel bar. Have a bite to eat in their highly regarded Italian restaurant, Porcini, or sit outside on the terrace to enjoy views over the Sound of Mull. Rooms from £120 per night.
Corran Esplanade, Oban
(Image: Cuan Mor)
EAT
Cuan Mor
Cuan Mor is the Gaelic translation for Big Ocean, which gives you a clue to the kind of cuisine you can expect in this welcoming, casual restaurant. Their excellent fish and seafood makes them popular with tourists and locals alike, as does their dog-friendly policy and unpretentious service. The restaurant and bar have been creatively designed using natural and reclaimed Scottish materials, including Ballachulish slate and greenheart timber beams from the lighthouse pier – giving it a unique charisma.
60 George Street, Oban
DRINK
Hinba Coffee Roasters
Coffee snobs, this is for you. Gone are the days when heading out of the city meant that you couldn’t get a barista-style brew, with trendy coffee brand Hinba leading the charge in Oban. And unlike firms that start in the city and then expand to rural areas, Hinba started with a farmhouse roastery on the Isle of Seil and a store in George Street in Oban, before later opening branches in Glasgow’s West End. Owners Fergus McCoss and Ness Achilles wanted to develop a range of ‘unpolluted’ sustainable products, and the coffee they’ve created is, frankly, divine.
62 George Street, Oban
