Spirit of Adventure arrives in Oban

The cruise ship Spirit of Adventure has arrived in Oban carrying almost 1,000 passengers.

The ship made the journey from Belfast last night (Wednesday August 16), with passengers being ferried into town after the vessel dropped anchor at 8am.

Community Council member Marri Molloy and BID4Oban ambassadors Kay MacDonald and Joe Reich were on the pier to welcome the tourists as they arrived.

Groups of passengers boarded buses which whisked them away for half-day outings, but many stayed to explore the town.

This is Spirit of Adventure’s first stop in Oban. It joins the ranks of a record-breaking 30 cruise ships calling in town this season.

BID4Oban ambassador Kay MacDonald said this is due to the years-long efforts of the Port of Oban Cruise Ship Group. A presence at Cruise Scotland conferences and meetings with cruise ship agents have seen the number of ships in Oban skyrocket from just two a year. This increase in tourism has resulted in a boost for the local economy.

Kay said: “You can feel a wee buzz in the days that there’s cruise ships in.”

Spirit of Adventure will depart at 5pm tonight to begin its journey to Stornoway.