I watched a youtube video of train to Oban, but not from Glasgow. Honestly, it didn't look that comfortable for a 3 1/2 hour train trip. But I have read the scenery is beautiful, except in the video, the scenery didn't appear special at all. We are an aging couple but like the freedom of doing our own thing. We will be in Glasgow for five days and think it would be interesting to experience a seaport such as Oban for a day trip. Has anyone used Rabbies for a day trip to Oban or traveled by train on your own to Oban? PS We will be traveling late April/early May. Thanks.
Posted by
Isle of Skye, Scotland
1577 posts
I think views on whether scenery is 'special' will inevitably be subjective. Surely it depends on what kind of scenery you are used to and what kind of scenery excites you? The trains are certainly not luxurious but then neither are the Rabbies mini coaches.
Depending what you want to experience from a seaport, there could be other options closer to Glasgow. For example Wemyss Bay, which has a pretty special railway station and you could take a short ferry trip to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.
Posted by
Prestwick Scotland
4 posts
Another island close to Glasgow is Arran called Scotland in miniature.
Less than an hour train from Glasgow Central Station to Troon where a bus runs to the ferry port. Calmac runs several ferries a day.
Once on Arran there is a bus service that meets the ferry & goes round the island.
Posted by
Lake District, England
11148 posts
It needs careful timing with the bus connections, but if you go to Rothesay it is possible to then go by bus to Rhubodach, then the wee short ferry to Colintraive (Cowal) then a bus to Dunoon for the ferry back to Gourock for train back to Glasgow.
Rothesay has the only Castle in Scotland with a surviving watered moat.
It's fallen a bit out of favour now, but that used to be a well known day trip from Glasgow.
The other really well known day trip from Glasgow is the train to Largs, then the very frequent short ferry ride to Great Cumbrae.
On Cumbrae a bus connects with all sailings into Millport or you can walk, or bus one way, walk the other. And Largs is a nice little seaside resort in its own right.
That is a very popular day trip for Glaswegians.
Either of these is a lot easier than the Isle of Arran for the day, which has far fewer ferries, and a mainland port constantly changing between Ardrossan and Troon, almost on a weekly basis.
And for my liking, either is a better day trip than the ubiquitous Isle of Arran.
All the Clyde coast trains are long electric ones.
If going to Oban, if you take the first train out and last back it is entirely possible to visit Iona in the day, without the capacity issues of having to pre book which car drivers have, but it is a very long day.
Or the islands of Kerrera or Lismore are both easy ferry rides from Oban - Kerrera especially.
The scenery to Oban is not as wild and remote as the Fort William line, but still pretty good, especially the section along Loch Awe as one of the highlights.
To maximise the scenery you could go one way by train and the other by Scottish Citylink bus.
Posted by
Virginia
607 posts
A few years ago we did a Rabbies day trip from Glasgow to Oban, Glencoe, Highland lochs and castles. It was very good. Oban was the stop for lunch (on our own) with time enough also for a brief look around.