Onward to Oban

It was with excitement and anticipation that I got out of bed at 6.00am to get showered and ready. Yes! Today we were setting off on another cruise… but one with a difference. We were once again travelling up to Oban, in Scotland, to join one of the amazing little Majestic Line vessels, this time the Glen Massan, on which we would be transiting the Caledonian Canal on the way to Inverness.

Regular readers of this blog will remember that we’ve cruised twice before with the Majestic Line, once in May 2021 on the Glen Tarsan, and once in September 2023 on the Glen Rosa. In each case we experienced wonderful scenery, hidden gems of tiny ports, gourmet food to die for and a fantastic nautical adventure exploring wild and rugged Scotland. We couldn’t wait to be back! 🙂

We left the house around 7.15am for the five-and-a-half hour drive up to Oban. The weather was dull and cloudy with a threat of moisture in the air. It is perhaps typical that we have had a beautiful April so far; sunshine and bright skies with a definite Spring vibe, but as soon as we set off on holiday, the weather deteriorates. A look at the long-term forecast, however, told us we could expect blue skies and sunshine later on in the cruise. 🙂

Around 8.40am we passed the famous “Welcome to Scotland” sign on the M6 (which forms the featured image for today!) and we felt a fresh surge of excitement at our impending holiday. 🙂

Once we’d been on the road a couple of hours, we stopped at the Johnstonebridge services; I hadn’t had any breakfast yet, so I was good and hungry. We each enjoyed a bacon sarnie washed down with coffee, and I nipped into the ubiquitous WHSmith to buy a couple of packets of Haribo sweets for us to enjoy the rest of the way. 🙂

We were pleased to see that the steady drizzle had abated, although the sky was still a ponderous grey. Travelling up to Oban from Durham is a lovely scenic route; on the way we passed charming little villages and gently-rolling green hills that gradually became rugged, green and purple shaded mountains, the tops of which were gently swathed in cumulonimbus clouds.

Passing the wonderful Loch Lomond, at which we’d enjoyed a two-night stay in 2023, we were dismayed to see nothing except a wall of grey; we couldn’t see where the water ended and the land and sky began, the mist and fog were so thick. It was quite eerie, looking through the black tree outlines into what appeared to be nothingness.

I love the names of the Scottish towns and villages, including Crianlarich. As we passed the sign with the town’s name on it, Trevor and I in unison said “Cree-an-larrrr-ichhhh” in a fake Scottish accent followed by a laugh. We then passed through the picturesque Tyndrum and soon we saw the signs directing us to Oban. 🙂

Our satnav gave us an estimated time of arrival of 12.45pm; this would give us nice time to enjoy a drink in the Corryvreckan pub before it was time to board. 😉

We continued along the winding roads until, from the top of a rise, we could see the harbour of Oban spread out below us, and we could smell the evocative seaside scents of fresh fish and seaweed. We decided to go down and try to get a photo of the Glen Massan at anchor before we made our way to the long-stay car park. She looked wonderful; a little old converted fishing trawler with her polished wooden hull and distinctive wheelhouse, the blue and white Saltire flying proudly from her mast. She would be our comfortable and cosy home for the next six nights. 🙂

As we made our way round to the car park, Trevor dropped me off at the Corryvreckan while he went off to park. The Corryvreckan is a waterfront pub of the Wetherspoon’s chain, named after an infamous whirlpool situated just at the top of the isle of Jura.

Inside, the pub was doing a roaring trade on this rainy afternoon. I found a table for two near the bar and used the Wetherspoon’s app to order a pint of beer for Trevor and an Aperol Spritz for myself. The drinks arrived just in time for Trevor, who entered the pub a minute or two later.

We sat there enjoying our drinks and basking in that fabulous “we-are-on-our-holidays” feeling that we always get on embarkation day. We had been told that boarding would commence around 3.00pm, at which time we were to present ourselves at the Columba Hotel to be taken to the pier to join the tender, or “liberty boat” for the short ride out to the Glen Massan.

Before then, however, we enjoyed another couple of drinks before returning to the car to retrieve our rucksacks and one large suitcase, which we trundled around to the Columba Hotel, trying to avoid any puddles on the way. 🙂

Inside the hotel, we were shown where to drop off our luggage before being directed to a room with free coffee, tea and biscuits available, and we took a seat at a nearby table, surreptitiously looking around at the other people waiting, wondering who was going to be our fellow shipmates on this occasion. The Glen Massan only holds 11 passengers and has a crew of four, so we knew that several people would be waiting to board the other Majestic Line vessels, Glen Shiel and Glen Etive, but not the Glen Tarsan, as we knew she was currently in Inverness. In fact, at some point Glen Massan would be passing her sister Glen Tarsan, as she was also transiting the Caledonia Canal, but in the opposite direction.

Soon several Majestic Line personnel appeared and called out the names of the vessels, one by one. As each group of people stood up and were issued with a lifejacket, the room emptied out until, by a process of elimination, there were only 10 of us left – we must all be on the Glen Massan. 🙂

Presently it was our turn to don our lifejackets and proceed down to the landing stage to join our liberty boat. As each boat only carries six passengers, there were two of them; Trevor and I stepped gingerly into the second one. Our “driver” introduced himself as Dan and said he was our engineer for this cruise.

Off we went, and we were pleased that it wasn’t too choppy and splashy, as we weren’t wearing our waterproofs on this occasion. I was able to get some great photos of the stern of Glen Masssan as we approached, and soon we were alongside at the bottom of a small pontoon leading to some irons steps up the side of the boat. Handing my rucksack up to Dan who was, by now, at the top of the steps, I held onto the rails and made my way up, and into the cosy interior of the Glen Massan. We were aboard! 🙂

The Glen Massan is a mirror image of her sister Glen Tarsan, so everything looked familiar but was the opposite way round. As we entered the saloon, we were handed a chilled glass of prosecco, and we looked around and greeted our fellow passengers; I raised my glass with a “Cheers, everyone!” to whoever was listening.

In the past, when I have described this type of cruise to people, one of the most common responses I get it “Oh, with so few passengers, what if you don’t get on with everyone?” Trevor and I have never found this to be a problem, as you’ll find that everyone aboard has much in common, all being of a certain age and well-travelled. As such, the mealtime conversations tend to be very interesting as everyone has their travel tales and anecdotes to share. 🙂

Enjoying a second complimentary glass of fizz, we were glad we hadn’t had any lunch because a plate of freshly-baked warm scones were brought out, accompanied by clotted cream and a selection of fruit jams, as well as tea and coffee. We each enjoyed a scrumptious scone, but we didn’t want to have anything more, because we knew that dinner tonight would be a special treat and one for which the Majestic Line is famous – absolutely gourmet, delicious fresh food, all locally sourced, and all with a uniquely-Scottish flavour about them. 🙂

By now, we had met our hearty Irish skipper Iain, who looked exactly like a sea captain with his ginger hair and matching luxuriant red beard. He introduced himself and his crew, including Engineer Dan (who we’d already met) Steward Yaz, and the lady who would be making us all glad for elasticated waists, Helen the chef. 🙂

It was after five o’clock before Yaz called our names, and Trevor and I were shown below decks to cabin number 3, named “JURA”. There are only six cabins on board Glen Massan, and they are all charmingly named after Scottish islands.

Our cabin was compact but very cosy and homely, and done out in shades of cream and pale grey. There were twin beds under a porthole, with rustly crisp white sheets and duvets, and plump cotton-covered pillows. Next to each bed was a small nightstand each containing a bottle of Highland Spring mineral water, and at the foot of each bed there were a couple of white fluffy towels.

There was a miniscule wardrobe with a few coathangers in, but there were no drawers, just a couple of shelves, so we’d have to live out of our suitcase. The bathroom contained a shower cubicle, sink and WC, with bottles of whisky and honey scented bodywash and shampoo next to the shower and the sink. It all looked very comfortable and we were sure we’d enjoy a fabulous cruise.

As we’d had an early start this morning, we decided to settle down for a 45-minute power nap, lulled by the gentle motion of the Glen Massan and the rumble of her engines as she carried us ever closer to our anchorage for tonight, in the picturesque Loch a’ Choire, which we’d last visited in September 2023 aboard the Glen Rosa.

Dinner on the Glen Massan is served at 7.30pm each evening, but before then everyone tends to meet in the saloon at seven o’clock to enjoy some pre-dinner canapés and perhaps an aperitif. After getting freshened up, we made our way upstairs and reconvened with the others, whose names we were all frantically trying to remember! 🙂

We enjoyed some canapés of chicken liver pâté on thin crackers, as well as some mozzarella cheese wrapped in prosciutto, and I decided to venture outside on deck to enjoy them.

I noticed that the drizzle had stopped, and a hint of gold showed us that the sun, hidden by the clouds, was low in the brooding sky. In fact, the cloud and light patterns were ever-changing and they created subtle reflections on the loch. I had to go outside and get some photos, and I stood there breathing in great lungfuls of the fresh sea air, and listening to the sound of the sea washing gently against the side of the Glen Massan as she turned slowly on her anchor. How totally brilliant was this? 🙂

Soon a ding on the bell at the side of the bar informed us that dinner was being served, and we all took our places around the communal wooden table. We started with an exquisite spinach and courgette soup and home-made bread, which we washed down with chilled white or red wine (which is complimentary with dinner). This was then followed by an absolutely superlative fruits de mer, or as they call it in Scotland, “na mara” which means “of the sea”. For seafood lovers this was an absolute delight and, as each dish was brought to the table, containing fresh lobster, langoustines, mussels and scallops, my mouth watered in anticipation of this messy, scrumptious feast. Soon a platter of fresh Scottish oysters was added to the table, the shellfish gleaming saltily on their bed of crushed ice. Many people are reluctant to try fresh oysters, but they taste of the sea and were delicious accompanied by a rich red-wine vinegar which contained finely-chopped onion.

Seafood is best eaten with the fingers, so we abandoned our cutlery and tucked in, using the provided lobster picks to get into the legs and claws and other hard-to-reach areas in order to extract the delicious sweet meat. Even the langoustines were massive and were almost like mini lobsters themselves. What can I say? This will be the freshest seafood we’ll ever eat, and I was sorry when the last mussel had been plucked from its shell, and our gorgeous meal was finished.

Ahhh… not quite finished. As we drank the last of the wine and the post-prandial coffee was brought to the table, a delicious cheese board appeared with locally produced cheeses including a Brie, a mature cheddar-like cheese and a scrumptious creamy blue cheese that melted in the mouth.

Sitting back afterwards, utterly sated and content, Trevor and I decided to partake of a wee dram each. There was a large selection on board, so what could we choose? As our cabin was called “Jura”, there was our answer. We’d try a Jura each. 🙂

As we sat at the table, we sniffed at the rich, smoky scent of the whisky before tasting a few drops of the amber fluid that we rolled around our tongues before swallowing. The whisky sent out delightful warm tendrils from our stomachs; we enjoyed it a lot. One by one, our fellow passengers said their goodnights before disappearing to their cabins, and soon it was only Trevor and me left, apart from Skipper Iain and, a few minutes later, Helen the chef.

We sat and chatted and enjoyed another whisky, and it was about 11.30pm before Trevor and I decided to call it a day. Before going below, I went out onto the rear deck. It was pitch black outside and all was calm and peaceful, all was perfectly still.

Making our way downstairs to cabin #3, we got washed and changed and into our ‘jamas before settling down. The generator had stopped by now, so it was lovely and quiet, and we slept very well in our cosy bed under the porthole. 🙂