Why did your Ancestors settle in Oban
Old Parish Records
OPR's began in Oban in 1796. Oban is Parish no 523 in the County of Argyll.
The Name
Oban means 'Little Bay' in gaelic
The Early Years
In the early years the land where Oban now stands supported very few households, sustaining only minor shipbuilding and quarrying.
The 1700 and 1800s
Oban grew up around the distillery that was founded there in 1794. By the late nineteenth century, Oban was a busy port which shipped wool, whisky, slate and kelp to Liverpool and Glasgow. The arrival of the railways brought new prosperity to Oban, revitalising local industry and giving birth to local tourism. It was at this time that McCaig's Tower, a folly and prominent local landmark, was constructed, as well as the ill-fated Oban Hydro which work began on in the late 1800s but the money ran out and it was never completed. It now lies in ruin.