We headed to Oban for an island tour. It’s a delightful coastal town, well worth a return visit. But to get there we first had to hire a car.
Hired car
We were so eager to be on our way to Oban, we arrived an hour early at the Hertz cabin at the Edinburgh Airport (about a 20-minute taxi ride from our hotel). They did not have our reserved car–in fact, they had not rented that particular make for some time.
They offered us a very pokey Kia, which, upon discovering the trunk was too small for our luggage, we declined. As we had reserved a car large enough for our luggage, we said we would hold out for such a vehicle.
Fortunately, a Toyota hybrid appeared soon thereafter, featuring comfortable seats and a capacious trunk. We were relieved to have a decent car, as we would be doing a lot of driving over the next few weeks. In fact, the final number was over 2000 miles.
We drove through beautiful countryside, past intriguing turnoffs, such as the Falkirk Wheel and Stirling Castle: another trip.
Perle Oban Hotel
We arrived mid-afternoon and had no trouble finding our hotel (though parking was another matter): the old, luxurious Perle Oban.
The receptionist gave us a slight, but very pleasant upgrade to a room with a bay window; its nook held two comfy chairs and a tea-table. A tray of cookies, small pastries, and fruit welcomed us, along with bottles of mineral water and a selection of teas. The view was beautiful.
An excellent Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is attached to the hotel; we had a good mezze-style dinner that night and top-notch “full Scottish” breakfasts the next two mornings.