Glengorm Guest House

A comfy bed and pillows made this a good one-night stop in Oban. The room was basic and could use a few small touch-ups, but it had a coffee tray, a working TV, plenty of towels, drawers and clothes hangers. I didn’t need the storage for my short stay. The location is handy for the piers and town centre, and there’s a Farmfoods across the road if you’ve forgotten a toothbrush or something similar. There’s no parking, as the booking information made clear, but a nearby car park allows overnight stays. I was on what I think was the top floor, away from most of the traffic and pedestrian noise. Expect stairs, especially if you have a lot of luggage. Check-in was easy. The owner wasn’t there, but messaged to check I could get in and let me know he was at the other end of the phone if I needed anything. Many thanks!

We were glad to be near the waterfront and good restaurants, and a nice man greeted us at the door and helped carry our bags upstairs. The room, though, was tiny, barely big enough for one person and luggage, and a real squeeze for two. The bed was very hard, there was no shampoo, and the floors creaked a lot. Parking was a nightmare on a busy one-way street with very few spaces. We ended up a block away, dragging suitcases through crowded, uneven streets. We also discovered by chance that guest house visitors can get a discount at the Scots Hotel for breakfast. It’s only a few doors down, and the buffet there was amazing. The guy who runs this place hadn’t told us.

At £99 for one night, this was hardly a bargain. The place felt more like a hostel than a guesthouse, and we wouldn’t return to Glengorm or any of the other three 'Victorian Villas' in the same sad row. Next time we’d plan ahead and book well in advance so this wasn’t our only option. It was rundown and shabby, with no staff around apart from the person who checked me in. Check-in times were very limited, and she was unfriendly and unhelpful. The room was bare, the bed linen didn’t match, and the curtains were coming off the rail. The mattress and pillows were uncomfortable. At least there were towels. The shared bathroom was usable but tatty, and the included breakfast was as basic as it gets, with the cheapest ingredients.

The house and our room were very clean, and the piers and restaurants are within walking distance. City parking is free from 5pm to 9am. Our room, number 6, faced the main road, so the noise continued until 11pm and started again around 6am. The mattress wasn’t the best in town either.