Guestbook

Sincere apologies to all who liked contributing to and reading our guestbook. Unfortunately due to the huge amounts of spam posted onto the site, and therefore the large amount of time spent removing it, the guestbook has now been removed.

John MacCallum's journey from Dundee to Oban

Regular readers of the old Oban guestbook may remember John MacCallum's amusing journal of his journey from Dundee to Oban. As there is no longer a guestbook on the site the entire journal is now here in one place for all to read. John was hoping to reach Oban by Halloween 2005 and so far no one knows if he made it. Enjoy!

How long does it normally take to drive to Oban from Dundee? What is the quickest route?
John MacCallum Dundee, - Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Well, I've manged to reach Perth. How long will it take to reach Oban from here? And should I head for Crieff or take the A9 north? All advice welcome.
John MacCallum Dundee, - Thursday, March 10, 2005

Well, we managed to reach Dunkeld on Friday evening only to be told by a friendly local that we were heading in the wrong direction. Apparently we should be heading for Crieff and then head over some hills in order to reach Oban. We'll try to get to Crieff by Sunday and I will send my next report. At this rate I think there is strong chance we will reach Oban in a week or so. Advice please on a good place to stay would be very welcome.
John MacCallum Dundee, - Saturday, March 12, 2005

Well, a wheel nearly came off when we were 3 miles from Crieff, but we managed to get to there before closing time. We had a bit of a problem finding stabling for the horses, but once taken care of we spent the rest of the evening a local inn. The natives were very friendly and seemed to like our singing. Today we set off for Comrie, which I am told lies to the west. Oban here we come (but only after we make sure that the wheel is OK).
John MacCallum Dundee, - Sunday, March 13, 2005

The hills are becoming mountains. Comrie is a lovely town, and we bought an excellent cheese and chutney baguette from a small deli not long after arriving. And some chocolate ginger biscuits for the horses. It is too late in the day to set off for our next destination, which I'm told by local townsfolk is called St Fillans, but we plan to depart first thing in the morning. Oban is still some way off I believe, but I'm sure we will get there sooner or later. The other good news is that our loose wheel has been properly fixed by a local blacksmith.
John MacCallum Dundee, - Monday, March 14, 2005

Well, sorry to have been absent for a while. It took us longer than we thought it would to escape from Comrie, which has some wonderful bars. And I met an interesting widow from Patagonia who insisted that I spend a few days more to help improve her Gaelic. Anyway, we are all now in St Fillans, and the horses are newly shod and in fine health (Comrie's oats are excellent). We set out for Lochearnhead in the morn, and, God willing, we will arrive there in a few days. Oban is taking longer to get to than we thought, but one day we will get there, and when we do, I will be able to relate the reason for our long journey. Sin agad e.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Thursday, March 24, 2005

Arrived at Lochearnhead a couple of hours ago. Very windy road. Tired and hungery. Cloudy sky but sleeping outside tonight as funds are low. We leave for Crianlarich at first light. Wewill cook some sausages that my widow friend gave me in Comrie, as they are a wee bit niffy and we need to eat them soon.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Sunday, March 27, 2005

Well folks, that was quite some journey but we are at last in Crianlarich. The road was long and cold, almost freezing in places. I suppose this is only to be expected, as it is still only March after all. I'm told that sppring should arrive in a few weeks. Our horses are tired to night, and we will spend a few days here before setting off for Tyndrum, where I'm told there is a shop.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Thursday, March 31, 2005

Tyndrum at last! It was only a few milesbut we had a few dtours up into the woderous mountains on teh way. Still quite some snow in places where the sun doesn't reach. We feasted ourselvels at the Green Welly Shop this evening, and I must say that their Cock a leekie soup reaches the parts that Mrs Heinz can't. Tomorrow at 6 am we set of for Dalmally, which is near Oban, although no one knows here it it has a shop.The horses are in good trim and are truly fed up this evening (on best quality oats).Oban, oh Oban, I can hardly wait...
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Saturday, April 09, 2005

Dalmally at last. Let me say now that this journey is taking us far langer than I thought. I was told before I left that it takes only 3 or 4 hours to get to Oban from Dundee, yet we've been on the road for weeks now and the horses are fair tired. Good news: we've earnred a llittle money by entertaining the people who pass us by in cars. They all seem to like our singing; our Handel always gets a good reception, particularly from the more cultured tourists (although there aren't many of them in Argyll it seems. Next stop is Loch Awe.Should only be a day or 2.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Well, thank you for asking about me. It is indeed true that I have been rather quiet, but this is only because we decided to camp a few miles outside Dalmally and rest the horses before the final lap. I also met a friendly female who insisted that I help her redecorate. Anyway, we are all rather tired, what with all our experiences of the friendly women we have met en route, and the wonderful hospitality we have encountered, particularly since we entered the realm of Argyll. You may be interested to hear tht we intend to break camp in the morn, and make our way via Loch Awe to Taynuilt, where we intend to spend the weekend. Thank you to all the people in motorised transport who continue to wave at us as they pass.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Wednesday, May 11, 2005

A wee treat for some of you... after an absence a few weeks, two days in a row with news from the horse's mouth so to speak. The rest has done us grand, and we made six miles before lunchtime. Normally we can manage 10 miles in three hours, but the roads in Argyll aren't exactly like those in The Netherlands, if you get my meaning. One kind soul stopped his velocipede to chat to us and, would you you believe it man, he had half of a cheese baguete left from the deli in Comrie. He kindly gave it to us for a few coppers, no chutney though, but what a catch. Roger, our second-inside horse, could tell I was happy, and I even gave him a few crumbs from the wee paper bag rather than eat them me self. Well, we passed Kilchurn Castle an hour or so ago, and we'll be in Loch Awe village this evening. I'll be in The Tight Line for a few this evening, I'm told it is a fine we place to have a drink or three. Oban, no long now...
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Thursday, May 12, 2005

Hello Marie-Claire - thank you for asking aboot myself. What a lovely name ye have. How old are you lass? Probaly too young to be interested in a fair trachled body like me nae doot. Anyway, I have to apologise to everyone. I reached Loch Awe as planned but was taken in my a friendly lady who stayed near the church. I think she took pity on me as I don't have much money right now, but I was able to pay my way in terms of services rendered, this included helping around the house (and repairing the central heating which by the way is certainly necessary in Scotland in July). Whey, what a long sentence, I never thought it would end. Anyway, I'm now here in wonderful Taynuilt, and have been grazing the horses near Bonawe Iron Furnace for the past week or maybe even 10 days (only one person objected, and that was because I wasn't willing to help out with her home brewery experiment. Anyway, we leave in the morn for Connel, which is a fair sized place I am told for these parts. The horses are all well rested and I expect to make camp before Saturday evening. I wonder if the Glue Pot is still there? The last time I was in Connel was in 1968 and I remember is as a fine public house. Or I might pay a wee call in at the Falls of Lora. Friends, you can hear me sing tomorrow in Connel, and the horses too. I off now for some toasted cheese and oatcakes.
John MacCallum Dundee, Scotland - Thursday, June 02, 2005

Well, would ye credit it? It taken me months te get the meausre o this new fangled guest book. An me a the while in a kind o limbo o near Connel, feedin the hosres an a. Weel folks, I'm back, and may I say richt awa that I can harrly wait to get tae Oban afore Hallo'een. Its been years but sin agad e is all I can say the nicht. My boy met some friendly folks at the Falls o Lora a few weeks ago an hes been away helpin with the forestry folks an only returned this morn. An me, I've been renting a wee bit o ground no that far from the Dierdre Cottages. An the horses fair like it too. Must go now as I haven't had ataste o the golden malt since breakfast. More later. Oban man, its the place to be I'm told, its been years since I been there but my soul will be renewed when I get there: is the Tartan Tavern still there I wonder, and the Lochavullin Inn, an the the famus old Blue Seahorse cafe under the Great Weestern Hotel? An the Playhouse Restaurant, man it did a great pork chop wi pineapple an chips I can remember. An best of all the George cafe, just up from Liptons. I fair excited at thge thocht.
John MacCallum Friday October 21 2005 18:49:55 - From Dundee, now near Connel