St Conan's Kirk – Loch Awe's Treasure and Afternoon Tea
A few hours.
The route
St Conan's Kirk stands on the shore of Loch Awe, a church built over half a century to one man's plan, with every style he loved under one roof and owls, angels and cheeky stone faces hidden all over it.
After a wander round, drive west to Oban for afternoon tea at the Oban Bay Hotel, with scones and cakes looking out over the bay.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Book afternoon tea at the Oban Bay Hotel online or on 01631 564395 for about 3.15pm, after the kirk: it's served every day from noon to 5pm, from £30 a person at the time of writing, for two or more, and every table must be booked ahead.
The day
Loch Awe
An unhurried afternoon. Take your time over the carvings and windows of the kirk by the loch, then drive through the Pass of Brander to Oban for a long afternoon tea by the bay.
About three hours
St Conan’s Kirk
An attraction
St Conan's Kirk stands in Lochawe village, on the shore of Loch Awe below the A85. There are five parking spaces at the gate by the war memorial and more in the lay-by opposite, so take care crossing the main road. The kirk is free, with donations welcome, and open every day from 9am to 5pm from October to March, and 8am to 6pm from April to September. It shuts to visitors during weddings, services and events, so check its calendar first. Walter Douglas Campbell began it in 1881 for his mother, then spent the rest of his life rebuilding it in every style he loved, from Norman and Romanesque to Celtic and Gothic. Look for the owls, griffins, angels and cheeky stone faces tucked into the stone, wood and glass. Three-quarters of an hour is about right. Most doors have a step or two, the paths outside are gravel, and Blue Badge holders may drive down and park in front of the kirk. There are usually no toilets, and its tearoom is shut for the winter.
38 min by car
The Oban Bay Hotel
Afternoon tea
Then it's 38 minutes' drive west through the Pass of Brander to Oban for afternoon tea at the Oban Bay Hotel, at the quiet north end of the Corran Esplanade. It's served every day from noon to 5pm, from £30 a person at the time of writing, in the sun lounge looking over the bay or by the fire in the lounge. Book ahead for two or more, online or on 01631 564395. The hotel is dog friendly. Its car park is small, so you may need to park on the street, where the signs show how long you can park.
If it rains
Both halves are under a roof: in rain, only the few steps from the car to the kirk door and from the street to the hotel are out in it.
