Virtual travel experiences across Scotland and Argyll – A must read for those who had to cancel their travel plans to West coast of Scotland, or for people that simply miss the eclectic mix of activities that Argyll has to offer.
Take a 360-degree tour of the #MustSeaScotland locations
The talented team at SailScotland have created beautiful virtual reality adventure tours of inspiring locations around Scotland. And, of course, they’ve made sure to include some fantastic spots from across Argyll. Take a 360 degree tour of the beaches and distilleries of Islay, or head across to Oban to explore Scotland’s ‘Gateway to the Isles’.
Photo: SailScotland.com
Take part in a live whisky tasting class
If the thought of months of solo dram drinking sounds awfully lonely, then The Friends of the Classic Malts have created a live Facebook event to make your evenings feel more sociable. Every Thursday at 6pm, one of their Scotch Whisky Ambassadors will guide you through a virtual tipple session to discuss nosing and tasting. Each week they’ll look at some of their favourite whiskies and distilleries across Scotland, including a number from our wonderful West Coast. This event is a great excuse to support local Scottish business and treat yourself to a new bottle (or two).
Easy Scottish crafts for the family
19th-century mansion Mount Stuart’s Spring activities would usually be in full swing by now! However, they haven’t let closures get in the way of their weekly Saturday Art Day sessions, with the team moving their weekly craft activities online in a bid to keep families entertained. Grab your art supplies and head over to their creative video pages – we particularly enjoyed their ‘How to make haggis animal’ session.
Run a virtual island marathon on Tiree
The organisers of the annual Tiree Marathon races have not had their spirits dampened by COVID-19. Instead of completely cancelling their island run event, they’ve opted to take them online.
“An online race?”, you ask. Yes! Participants have been asked to take to their treadmills/bikes/hills and post their ‘routes’ on social media. Don your favourite Tiree T-shirt (or decorate your own) and get into the event spirit by downloading the playlist for the start line. Organisers have asked competitors to share their stories and photos in the hopes of bringing their community together – wherever they are.
Photo: tireefitness.co.uk
Live Oban webcam watching
Whether you’re a local missing the scenes of your hometown, or a world explorer hankering for Scottish travel inspiration, the live webcams of Oban are peaceful way to take in the views across the popular tourist town. There are 2 cameras: one at the North pier, which looks across the Esplanade and cathedral and a second that shows views across the water and on to the Calmac Ferry Terminal:
Oban North pier webcam
Obans lighthouse webcam
Castle Stalker virtual tour
There’s something extra magical about the ruined castles of Scotland; towering fortresses in the middle of nowhere, the wind whistling through their empty stone windows and telling tales of time gone by. Castle Stalker is just one of the thousands of well-preserved old castles across Scotland, made famous by its appearance in the 1975 movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Stranded on its very own private island, visits to castle stalker are limited (and currently off limits due to COVID-19). However, virtual travellers can tour the island and the old building with Castle Stalker’s virtual tour.
The set-up may not be as slick as some of the larger 3D offerings, but still delivers the ability to have a good poke around the nooks and crannies of the structure and its secrets.
Virtual reality exploration in The Hollow Mountain of Ben Cruachan
One for virtual reality headset owners (however, you can also explore this interactive app without a headset by using your phone screen). The VisitScotland team paired with Napier University and XDesign to create a 3D virtual Scottish world, complete with hairy coos and virtual glens. The interactive map allows users to travel to 26 unique attractions across Scotland, including Argyll’s cavernous mountain power station.
Have we missed an Argyll virtual experience that you’ve tried? Drop us a message so we can add it to the list! Love our recommendations? Give them a share on Twitter or Facebook!