An t-Oban

The People and the Place

This long-overdue new history of Oban (An t-ban, meaning the little bay in Gaelic) tells its story from the arrival of the first settlers in 10,000 BC to the development of the vibrant town it is today.Through disasters, wars, famine and clearance, the people of Oban showed a spirit of recovery, entrepreneurship and resilience.

This long-overdue new history of Oban (An t-ban, meaning the little bay in Gaelic) tells its story from the arrival of the first settlers in 10,000 BC to the development of the vibrant town it is today. It traces the impact of early Celts, Scots and Vikings, the formation of the Lordship of the Isles and the subsequent dominance of Clan MacDougall and then the Campbells. Through disasters, wars, famine and clearance, the people of Oban showed a spirit of recovery, entrepreneurship and resilience.

Why did early inhabitants choose Oban as a desirable place to settle? What mad