Brewery to help revitalise Oban

Three vacant sites in Oban are part of a plan to revitalise the town centre – including opening a brewery in a former church, writes Kathie Griffiths.

Argyll and Bute’s Licensing Board met on Tuesday to consider granting a provisional premises licence to turn an empty shop at 113-115 George Street into Oban Escape Ltd – seven escape rooms with gamers also having the opportunity to buy branded merchandise and whisky.

The board heard it was the same applicant behind Oban Brewery and a new craft beer bar and garden centre.

A report to the board said: ‘This is one of three applications submitted by the same applicant looking to revitalise disused properties in Oban town centre, the other two being the proposed Oban Brewery, 28 Argyll Square, and Garden Tap Limited, 29 Lochside Street. Each proposal is at various stages of completion.’

The Garden Tap, by the Black Lynn burn, will offer meals, music and TV sports. It was granted planning permission last month. The church building being proposed as a brewery was previously used as a pub after being sold by the Church of Scotland.

Meanwhile, Oban’s Wellpark Hotel is to reopen in April as No 17 The Promenade, following a multi-million-pound refurbishment. It was bought by hotelier Paul Sloan in 2021.