As the weekend dawned and the realisation that Oban would remain a town – and wouldn’t reach the dizzy heights of being named a city sunk in – I doubt many were surprised or bothered.
Oban is already a university town, the seafood capital of the known world and it has Markie Dans pub.
The news Oban and Elgin had missed out on city status to Dunfermline was no surprise to anyone.
What more could the good people of this town possibly need? We even have a university, a seaweed farm, a BIG Tesco, a soup kitchen, community garden and more churches than you could shake a stick at.
Are people raging on the streets that we must live without the Queen’s endorsement of our high held ambitions?
Not really. We already have a crown in the shape of McCaig’s Tower that sits proudly above the town.
We have a distillery, a independent cinema, a community centre to rival those of the cities – and we have a small handful of chains – like M&Co and Subway. We do not have a Macdonald’s or a Greggs – we have a Poppies and a Roxy’s.
And the world-renowned Mantrap Bar is set for a return.
We are the capital of CalMac, while its headquarters are not here, most of its sailings are – or have a connection to the town.
‘Oban is the centre of the known world’
We are a day trip away from most things in Scotland – but not least the Cradle of Christianity on Iona, and the peated whisky capital of the world on Islay.
The police, shopkeepers, precious stone proprietors and ice cream sellers are kind here – they know their regular customers by name, you wouldn’t get that in a city.
Only yesterday one shop keeper was bemoaning to me the fact that Oban had become so gentrified that locals could no longer afford a night in a hotel.
She said: “Only 10 years ago we were the place for people who were not rich to come to. It is not the same anymore.”
She might be right.
The town has cafe culture and outdoor bars – something you would not have seen 20 years ago.
In the last few weeks one of the busy restaurants has introduced a 10% levy on guests -which has caused healthy debate on social media. The clear message is “don’t bring your city ways here”.
Oban also has a town centre marina – just like Hong Kong. In fact, maybe we are the Hong Kong of Scotland?
Locals can afford a seafood platter for £20 on the pier – as opposed to the hundreds of pounds the same would set you back in London.
Secretly, I think Her Majesty wanted to keep the beauty of this town and its people for herself.
Her daughter regularly holidays here. Her grandchildren spent many a happy hour at their other grannie’s house when they were children.
That same grannie owned the WH Smith in town – and people still tell tales of her outrageous antics.
And it is even rumoured that Tom Cruise, Roman Abramovich and Beyonce (or was it Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt) spent prolonged holidays in the town.
So we have it all in Oban – we even have a cathedral which makes us a city in the eyes of God already.
And we have Gaelic – 130 years of the Gaelic choir this year – you can’t say that in any other city in the world.
For now, the Queen can keep the city status, Oban has it all already.
Louise Glen is a Live News reporter for the Press & Journal and is based in Oban, because she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
The Mantrap Bar: After more than 20 years the good times are coming back to an Oban institution
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