Arriving in Oban for a job interview by train in the summer of 1991, it was impossible not to be struck by the town’s magnificent bay and McCaig’s Tower on the hill.
It was about as far as you could get from Salford in Greater Manchester, to which I had travelled for an interview a few weeks before.
The impression of Oban that day was of course helped by the kind of bright sunny day which cannot be taken for granted on Scotland’s West Coast, even in high summer.
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In the couple of years during which I worked for The Oban Times (the job interview was successful) in the town itself and initially at the newspaper’s Lochgilphead, I realised that I had not fully appreciated how wet drizzle could be in my years in and around Glasgow.
The drive down Corran Brae in Dunollie on the way into town was often one that could not be undertaken without the windscreen wipers at full speed, on those days when the sea ahead was barely or not at all visible.
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Prior to 1991, I had been to Oban just once, on a summer weekend camping trip dominated by rain and poor visibility.
That trip involved a visit to The Oban Inn, to which I was to return many times over the years.
It was great on the day of the job interview to take in the views over to Mull, and to walk up to McCaig’s Tower (or “Folly” depending on the naming preference).
During my time living in Oban, and over the following years, Ganavan Sands has been a real favourite place to visit in all kinds of weather.
I had the pleasure of covering the centenary Mod in Oban in 1992, when the town was packed and the atmosphere in pubs such as The Oban Inn and Lorne Bar was electric until well into the morning after some long days of reporting.
Other memories include receiving a refund after the projector at the Highland Theatre cinema broke down, ahead of the screening of a movie starring Bridget Fonda, a reminder that I was many miles from the multiplexes of East Kilbride or Clydebank.
And eating lunch at the seafront with a fine view as the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry made its way from Oban, the Gateway to the Isles, to Mull was a far cry from working life in the city.
The town has seen a huge amount of investment over the years, and these were highlighted as key figures in the town celebrated its awards success unveiled today.
It has been interesting to see big changes on returning to Oban at various points over the three decades since I left.
These days, Oban Seafood Hut on the Railway Pier is a big draw.
And it is pleasing to see the town thriving, at a time when so many others are struggling.
However, while not wanting to understate the many attributes of the town itself including its many fine restaurants, the key draws of Oban remain the sea, the spectacular views over to Mull and Kerrera, and Ganavan Sands.
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