08/09/24

Calmac Pier, Oban

We’ve hired a motor home for a few days. Yesterday, once we’d collected the all-mod-cons Fiat Ducato from Roadsurfer’s depot, we made our way to Tyndrum and enjoyed a tranquil sunny evening, walking in the woods and relaxing outside the van with our (alcohol-free) wine and beer.

Today, we’ve come to Oban. It’s not quite as warm as yesterday, but the sun is still shining and we’re determined to spend some time on the beach at Ganavan Sands. We take a long walk and paddle in the sea – and so of course work up an appetite.

No worries: one of the main reasons we’ve come here is to sample the shellfish from the famous Oban Seafood Hut, more commonly known as The Green Shack – a favourite of the Hairy Bikers, apparently. A woman at our gym waxed lyrical about this little place, and we’re keen to try it for ourselves.

The shack is busy: customers are milling about and mussels are cooking on a gas stove at the front. We’re more than ready for this. But we have to hold our horses because there’s a ‘cash only’ sign and we don’t have any. Off we go to find an ATM…

On our return, we order the ‘Grand Platter for Two’ – which costs £45 – take a ticket and wait for it to be brought to us. Most punters seem to be eating their food from trays, standing or sitting under the adjacent awning. But we’ve got a little home on wheels, so we’re going to eat ours in comfort. We get it wrapped, pop it in the van’s fridge and then drive to tonight’s campsite – a loch-side spot at Creagan Station.

Sadly, there are too many midges for us to eat outside, but no matter: the van has a dinette. We prepare some salad, cut some olive bread and open up our fishy feast.

It’s vast. There’s a whole lobster, already opened and dressed, so there’s no need to crack that tricky carapace. There are crab claws (again pre-prepared), scallops, squid rings, langoustines, prawns, crab-sticks, a smoked salmon fillet, some pieces of sweet herring and lots and lots of mussels. There are also two sauces: a Marie Rose and a sweet chilli.

Everything is delicious – top-quality produce, perfectly prepared. The scallops and crab claws are probably my favourites, but I can’t fault any of it. And it’s such a generous portion! Neither of us has a small appetite, but we can’t eat more than half of this tonight.

It’s not an issue. Did I mention we’re in a camper van and we’ve got a fridge?

Tomorrow, we’ll have a prawn and mussel salad for lunch (with a few spicy crisps on the side); for dinner, we’ll have couscous in a tomato and vegetable sauce with a piece of smoked salmon on top. Not a morsel will go to waste.

Owner John Ogden and his staff clearly deserve their accolades. This simple food is simply wonderful.

5 stars

Susan Singfield