50-453: PTAT-1 was the first privately financed transatlantic fiber optic telecommunications cable. Completed in 1989 at a cost of US$ 600 million and maintained by Cable & Wireless (C&W) and Sprint /Private TransAtlantic Telecommunication Systems, Inc. (PSI, Inc.), it connected Manasquan, New Jersey , United States, with Devonshire, Bermuda , and Ballinspittle , Republic of Ireland , terminating at Brean , England , United Kingdom, for
100-415: A self-healing ring topology. Late in the 20th century, communications satellites lost most of their North Atlantic telephone traffic to these low-cost, high-capacity, low- latency cables. This advantage only increases over time, as tighter cables provide higher bandwidth – the 2012 generation of cables drop the transatlantic latency to under 60 milliseconds, according to Hibernia Atlantic , deploying such
150-578: A backdrop to several films, including Ring of Bright Water and Morvern Callar . The Oban War and Peace Museum advances the education of present and future generations by collecting, maintaining, conserving and exhibiting items of historical and cultural interest relating to the Oban area in peacetime and during the war years. A museum also operates within Oban Distillery , just behind the main seafront. The distillation of whisky in Oban predates
200-477: A base station. It included three fiber pairs, supporting two active channels. Each repeater had a base-station-controlled switch that could direct traffic between two fiber pairs, allowing flexible connections and a backup path if needed. Transatlantic communications cable A transatlantic telecommunications cable is a submarine communications cable connecting one side of the Atlantic Ocean to
250-528: A cable that year. Some new cables are being announced on the South Atlantic: SACS (South Atlantic Cable System) and SAex (South Atlantic Express). The TAT series of cables constitute a large percentage of all North Atlantic cables. All TAT cables are joint ventures between a number of telecommunications companies, e.g. British Telecom . CANTAT cables terminate in Canada rather than in
300-596: A distance of 7,552 kilometres (4,693 miles ; 4,078 nautical miles ). PTAT-1 is notable for breaking the international telecommunication monopoly held by AT&T Corporation and British Telecom (BT) for telecommunications between the US and UK, and setting off the mass production of fiber optic systems that now circle the world. PTAT-1 was built by a joint venture of a small private US company, Private TransAtlantic Telecommunication Systems, Inc. (PSI, Inc., founded as Tel-Optik in 1984) and Cable & Wireless plc of
350-720: A dramatic scenery of the coast and mountains, as well as historically valuable local castles and ancient religious sites. North of the town the natural rock formation of Fingal's Dogstone is connected in legend to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland . The Oban Visitor Information Centre, operated by VisitScotland , is located in the Columba Buildings on the North Pier. The Oban & Lorn Tourism Alliance also provides information about local attractions at
400-560: A local hostel during the school week. The school funds the hostel so that the families of the students don't have to pay themselves. The building formerly used as Rockfield Primary School has now been taken over by the Community and is being extensively refurbished. It has also been used as a polling station for areas of the town. Television signals are received from the Torosay and local relay transmitters. For many years Oban FM
450-742: A new ferry terminal was opened, and in 2007 a second linkspan opened, allowing two vessels to load/unload at the same time. Scottish Citylink run buses from Glasgow's Buchanan bus station several times a day; in summer, buses run from Dundee via Perth (route 973) and to Edinburgh via Stirling (route 978). West Coast Motors operate many local services and also coach links as far south as Lochgilphead and as far north as Fort William. Formerly, Oban also had direct passenger railway services to Edinburgh. The scenic line, which ran via Glen Dochart, Strathyre, Callander, Dunblane and Stirling, closed in 1965. Railway services north to Ballachulish on Loch Leven were withdrawn in 1966. (These services were withdrawn as
500-520: A primary school campus located in the south of the town along with Park Primary School at the north of the town, and a major high school, Oban High School . In 2019, £36 million was spent on a new building for the high school, replacing the original 1890 building which was subsequently demolished. Secondary school pupils are drawn from a wide surrounding catchment area, with some pupils having long commutes to and from school every day. Students who live on surrounding islands such as Coll or Mull stay at
550-472: A result of the Beeching cuts .) Oban has an airport outside the village of North Connel , some 5 miles (8 km) NE of the town. The airport has regular connections to Islay, Colonsay and Tiree, with flight-times of just half an hour. The code for Oban Airport is (OBN) and the only airline flying from the airport is Hebridean Air Services. The airport featured in a 2021 episode of Top Gear. Oban has
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#1732783631583600-574: A subsequent attempt in 1866 was more successful. On July 13, 1866 the cable laying ship Great Eastern sailed out of Valentia Island , Ireland and on July 27 landed at Heart's Content in Newfoundland , completing the first lasting connection across the Atlantic. It was active until 1965. Although a telephone cable was discussed starting in the 1920s, to be practical it needed a number of technological advances which did not arrive until
650-443: A thriving martial arts scene, with karate , kick boxing , mixed martial arts , and boxing all available. Watersports are an obvious activity in a seaport, and sailing is very popular. West Highland Week brings sailors from around the world to the town every year. A raft race regularly takes place in the bay which offers a chance for locals to win prizes and trophies. Scuba diving is also readily available. The wreck diving
700-519: Is Oban Saints with a small stadium situated in Mossfield. However, shinty is a more popular game locally, with two major teams, Oban Camanachd and Oban Celtic , in the town. The Oban Times runs a "Spot the Shinty Ball" competition each week. Oban Cricket Club was formed in 2003 and plays in nearby Taynuilt . Oban Lorne Rugby Football Club turned 50 years old in 2012, and competes in
750-546: Is located at Dunstaffnage, about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) north-north-east of Oban town centre. Rainfall is high, but thanks to the Gulf Stream , the temperature seldom falls below 0 °C (32 °F). The local culture is Gaelic . In 2011, 8.2% of the town's population over age 3 could speak Gaelic and 11.3% had some facility in the language. Oban is considered the home of the Royal National Mòd , since it
800-481: Is spectacular, with the Sound of Mull offering some truly world-class dive sites. Although weather and visibility can be variable, the local geography means that a dive somewhere can always be achieved. Laurinburg, North Carolina , United States became a twin town to Oban in 1993. The initial agreement was between Scotland County, North Carolina, and Argyll & Bute District Council. Following reorganisation in 1995,
850-602: Is the Rev. Dugald Cameron, who formerly served at St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow . A third church, the former Corran Esplanade Church (opened in 1957 as Christ Church) at Corran Esplanade in the town, is now closed. A fourth church, St Columba's Argyll Square Church was opened in 1888 and closed in 1984. The mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles is St Columba's Cathedral at
900-615: The Argyllshire Gathering , is also held in the town. The Corran Halls theatre acts as a venue for community events, local and touring entertainers, and touring companies such as Scottish Opera . The town had a two-screen cinema , which closed in early 2010. Thanks to a local community initiative supported by a number of famous names, it reopened in August 2012 as the Phoenix Cinema. Oban has itself been used as
950-522: The Battle of the Atlantic . The Royal Navy had a signal station near Ganavan, and an anti-submarine indicator loop station, which detected any surface or submarine vessels between Oban, Mull and Lismore . There was a controlled minefield in the Sound of Kerrera , which was operated from a building near the caravan site at Gallanach. A Royal Air Force flying-boat base operated at Ganavan and on Kerrera , and an airfield at North Connel – built by
1000-506: The 1940s. Starting in 1927, transatlantic telephone service was radio-based. TAT-1 (Transatlantic No. 1) was the first transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban , and Clarenville , Newfoundland between 1955 and 1956 by the cable ship Monarch . It was inaugurated on September 25, 1956, initially carrying 36 telephone channels. In the first 24 hours of public service, there were 588 London–U.S. calls and 119 from London to Canada. The capacity of
1050-517: The 1970s, used transistors and had higher bandwidth. The Moscow–Washington hotline was initially connected through this system. All cables presently in service use fiber optic technology. Many cables terminate in Newfoundland and Ireland, which lie on the great circle route from London , UK to New York City , US. There has been a succession of newer transatlantic cable systems. All recent systems have used fiber optic transmission, and
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#17327836315831100-572: The Cowal Games competition, and the Champion of Champions for the year in the novice-juvenile grade. The town also boasts a successful senior pipe band. The local Gaelic choir competes regularly and successfully in the Mod. The town has been the birthplace and home of a number of well-known people . The most prominent attraction in Oban is McCaig's Tower which is visible from a great portion of
1150-497: The House contained "woodwork and panelling believed to be by Clow Bros and Louis Davis stained glass windows. Also within the library is an original grade A listed Ingram organ with Welte Philharmonic roleplay mechanism (not fully operational)". The listing also stated that "remedial work [was] recently undertaken by the current owner". During World War II (1939–1945), Merchant and Royal Navy ships used Oban as an important base in
1200-471: The Late Iron Age and a farmstead in use sometime between the late 7th to 9th centuries AD. Prior to the 19th century, the town itself supported very few households, sustaining only minor fishing, trading, shipbuilding and quarrying industries, and a few hardy tourists . The Renfrew trading company established a storehouse there around 1714, as a local outlet for its merchandise, but a custom-house
1250-700: The Lorn Christian Fellowship (Independent) both of whom meet at Oban High School and the Associated Presbyterian Church in Campbell Street. The Congregational Church in Tweedale Street was built in 1880. A Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses is located nearby at 57 Lorn Road, Dunbeg. Pennyfuir Cemetery , to the north of the town, contains several notable burials, including Frances Shand Kydd ,
1300-638: The RBS West region. The Highlanders were a World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling tag-team originally from Oban. Glencruitten Golf course was designed by professional golfer James Braid in the early 1900s, and offers a challenging 18 holes across difficult terrain. The West Highland Tennis Championships are held annually in July and attract some of Scotland's best players to the town. Past champions include Colin Fleming and Judy Murray. Oban also has
1350-721: The Royal Air Force. A Sector Operations Room was built near the airfield; after the war, this was extended to become the Royal Observer Corps Group HQ. Oban was also important during the Cold War because the first Transatlantic Telephone Cable ( TAT-1 ) came ashore at Gallanach Bay. This carried the Hot Line between the US Presidents and USSR General Secretaries . Since the 1950s,
1400-506: The UK. The submarine cable system and line terminal equipment were provided by Standard Telephones and Cables (STC) [1] , and alarm and control system management by International Computers Limited (ICL). The US shore end was built by Lightwave Spectrum. On August 15th, 1989, US Sprint Corp. acquired 100% of PSI, Inc., and thereby acquired 50% interest in PTAT-1. The UK to US section of the cable
1450-464: The US. There are a number of private non-TAT cables. Oban Oban ( / ˈ oʊ b ə n / OH -bən ; Scottish Gaelic : An t-Òban [ən̪ˠ ˈt̪ɔːpan] meaning The Little Bay ) is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland . Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William . During the tourist season,
1500-503: The cable was soon increased to 48 channels. Later, an additional three channels were added by use of C Carrier equipment. Time-assignment speech interpolation (TASI) was implemented on the TAT-1 cable in June 1960 and effectively increased the cable's capacity from 37 (out of 51 available channels) to 72 speech circuits. TAT-1 was finally retired in 1978. Later coaxial cables, installed through
1550-547: The enterprise was abandoned and left to fall into disrepair after 1882 when Dr Orr, the scheme's originator, realised he had grossly underestimated its cost. Work on McCaig's Tower , a prominent local landmark, started in 1895. Paid for by John Stewart McCaig (1824–1902) the construction aimed, in hard times, to give work for local stonemasons. However, its construction ceased in 1902 on the death of its benefactor. The Oban Municipal Buildings were completed in around 1900. Built in 1897 for James Gemmel Boutein, Glencruitten House
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1600-431: The mother of Diana, Princess of Wales , and four casualties of the 1942 Dunbeath air crash which also killed Prince George, Duke of Kent . Oban's proximity to the mountains and the sea means that a wide array of sports are available to visitors and locals, from scuba-diving to coasteering to sailing to mountain biking to winter mountaineering. Other activities of note in the town are: The local amateur football team
1650-771: The north end of the Esplanade. During the 19th century, the Rector of the Pro-Cathedral was Father Allan MacDonald , a poet and Gaelic scholar. The present cathedral was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and constructed between 1932 and 1959. The Scottish Episcopal Church is represented in Oban by the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine , situated in George Street. It is one of two cathedrals of
1700-540: The official web site. Oban lies at the western end of the A85 road . A number of ScotRail trains run between Oban railway station and Glasgow Queen Street daily. The town is an important ferry port: it is Caledonian MacBrayne 's busiest terminal. Oban is known as the "Gateway to the Isles", with ferries sailing to the islands of Lismore , Colonsay , Islay , Coll , Tiree , to Craignure on Mull , to Castlebay on Barra and to Lochboisdale on South Uist . In 2005,
1750-480: The original owner was listed as the Shelly-Bonteyn family. MacKay and his son Robert Ferrier Burns Mackay were said to be significant collectors of art, including works by "Sir David Young Cameron (1865–1945) and James McBey (1883–1959)". For some time prior to 2020, Glencruitten House was owned by a religious community who listed it for sale that year. The listing for sale provided additional specifics:
1800-417: The other. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, each cable was a single wire. After mid-century, coaxial cable came into use, with amplifiers. Late in the 20th century, all cables installed use optical fiber as well as optical amplifiers , because distances range thousands of kilometers. When the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858 by Cyrus West Field , it operated for only three weeks;
1850-542: The owner at that time. The House has been a B-listed property since 1971. The contents were to be sold off by auction in 2003, including some furniture designed by Lorimer. Reports at that time shed additional light on the previous owners of the House, indicating that the MacKay family "at the Argyll house" had owned the property for four generations, since 1917 when it was acquired by "the venture capitalist Alexander MacKay";
1900-477: The poem brought many new visitors to the town. The town was made a Parliamentary Burgh in 1833. A rail link – the Callander and Oban Railway – was authorised in 1864, but took years to reach the town. The final stretch of track to Oban opened on 30 June 1880. This brought further prosperity, revitalising local industry and giving new energy to tourism. Also at this time work on the ill-fated Oban Hydro commenced;
1950-608: The principal industry has been tourism. However, the town is also an important ferry port, acting as the hub for Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to many of the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides . The Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened Oban Lifeboat Station in 1972. As with the rest of the British Isles , Oban experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest official Met Office weather station for which online records are available
2000-464: The same frequency that had been used by Oban FM. The town is served by BBC Radio Scotland on 93.3 FM. The Oban Times is the weekly local newspaper which publishes on every Thursdays. Oban is served by Kilmore & Oban Parish Church of the Church of Scotland . There are two church buildings in the united parish, namely at Glencruitten Road as well as Kilmore Church. The minister (since 2007)
2050-583: The town can have a temporary population of up to over 24,000 people. Oban occupies a setting in the Firth of Lorn . The bay forms a near perfect horseshoe, protected by the island of Kerrera ; and beyond Kerrera, the Isle of Mull . To the north are the long low island of Lismore and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour . Humans have used the site where Oban now stands since at least Mesolithic times, as evidenced by archaeological remains of cave dwellers found in
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2100-779: The town. Just outside the town, stands Dunollie Castle , on a site that overlooks the main entrance to the bay and has been fortified since the Bronze Age . Just to the north of Oban, at Dunstaffnage, excavations in 2010, by Argyll Archaeology in advance of the development of the European Marine Science Park, found evidence that people were also living in the area from the Neolithic to the Early Historic periods. The archaeologists discovered funerary pyres that were in use for several generations during
2150-411: The town. Construction of the tower began in 1897, funded by John Stuart McCaig as a way of providing work for local stonemasons and to serve as a lasting legacy for his family. McCaig died in 1902, and although construction was set to continue, with McCaig promising £1000 a year for its construction to continue, his family challenged this in court and won, stopping construction. The area around Oban has
2200-614: The town: whisky has been produced on the site since 1794. The Hope MacDougall collection is a unique record of the working and domestic lives of people in Scotland. Music is central to Gaelic culture, and there is lively interest in the town. In the 2010 pipe band season, the local Oban High School Pipe Band, led by Angus MacColl , was successful in winning the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow ,
2250-889: The united Diocese of Argyll and the Isles , the other being the Cathedral of the Isles in Millport , Isle of Cumbrae . There are several other churches in the town, including the Free Church of Scotland in Rockfield Road, the Baptist Church in Albany Street, Salvation Army in Stevenson Street, Elim Pentecostal Church in Soroba Road, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
2300-469: Was built on the site of an earlier estate. Now Category B Listed , the building is a Scottish-style castle, or Scots Baronial house, that was significantly altered in 1903. A library wing was added in 1927/1928. The original architect, Edward Appin, was also involved in the work completed in 1903. Robert Lorimer of the Lorimer & Matthew firm, guided the additions made in the 1920s for Alexander Mackay,
2350-504: Was first held there in 1892, with ten competitors on a Saturday afternoon. The town hosted the centenary Mod in 1992 (the year it became Royal) and in 2003 the 100th Mod. These two events attracted thousands of competitors and visitors (the 100th Mod was later than the centenary because it was not held in the war years). The Mod is held in Oban roughly every 6–8 years, and has last been held in October 2024. An annual Highland Games, known as
2400-410: Was not deemed necessary until 1736, with "Oban being reckoned a proper place for clearing out vessels for the herring fishery". The modern town of Oban grew up around the distillery , which was founded there in 1794. A royal charter raised the town to a burgh of barony in 1811. Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1814, the year in which he published his poem The Lord of the Isles ; interest in
2450-426: Was shutdown just after 02:00 hours on 8 February 2004, as it was no longer considered financially viable by Cable & Wireless. Competitors to the cable had dropped their prices drastically after they re-emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy with little or no debts to service, something C&W was unable to compete with. This cable provided intelligent repeaters that monitored and reported bit errors when queried by
2500-484: Was the town's local radio station which broadcast local news and entertainment to the town. The station ceased broadcasting after 32 years in July 2024 although liquidators had yet to be brought into the company at the end of August 2024 and its website remains online but does not play any stream. In October and November 2024, Nevis Radio announced that it had been granted approval from OFCOM to extend its coverage to Oban and that from 2025 it will broadcast on 103.3FM,
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