Battleship Hill ~ ~ A wartime view

From the late 30s onwards when Ganavan was developed by the millitary as a sea plane base, Oban has been an important link in coastal defenses.

The only evidence of wartime activities on the hill today is a few concrete foundations but during the war (WW11) Battleship Hill was chosen as an observation post and gun emplacement due to it's commanding views over the islands, the coast to the nortwest and Ganavan itself.

(Oban War & Peace Museum has lots of interesting information on wartime Oban and is a recommended visit. Entrance is free but they survive on donations so be generous if you can.)

I was raised in Dunollie estate and spent a lot of my childhood exploring the hills and woods you now walk in. (It was a safer world then, at least it seemed that way).

As you walk up Battleship imagine fresh virgin snow, a 12 year old on a home made sledge whizzing by with a crazy mongerel terrier called Bengo speeding alongside, barking like something possessed, somehow avoiding getting run over, and you've found me! Happy days ....

I see no ships ~ ~

Why Battleship Hill? That's the name it's known by locally - you won't find the name on a map of Oban - it's proper name is Cnoc Carnach (Cnoc is gaelic for hill). It's extremely unlikely that you'll find a local who knows it by it's gaelic name

How to get there?

On foot ~ ~ Head along the Esplanade towards Ganavan. At the War Memorial cross the road and take the track towards Dunollie Castle that runs parallel to the main road.

Past the Dogstone for 200m. At the cattle grid turn up to the right. (Remember to close the gate, this is a working farm so dogs under control.)

Keep going to the next fenceline and to your left is Battleship. You can now be brave and head straight up or smart and follow the track round and upwards.

By car ~ ~ from the bottom Corran Halls rounabout take the Ganavan road.
300m on at St Columbas Cathedral turn right onto Corran Brae, head on up the hill (past my old house!).

Keep on through the housing estate until you come to the T junction, turn left into Cruachan Crescent and at the top leave the car in the car park, walk through the small playpark and up you go ~ ~