family holidays

Sunnybrae is the perfect site for family holidays but as parents ourselves we realise that you probably have lots of questions about child friendly facilities. Hopefully this page will provide most of the answers!

laundry

We offer a reasonably priced laundry service for guests but do not yet have a self-service launderette. We can wash and dry clothes, or just dry clothes if you have been caught out! All caravans are equipped with an airer and clothes pegs, and the site has an undercover drying area as well for wet coats, wetsuits, bikes etc. There are laundry facilities in Oban as well if required.

bike hire

We have a good selection of bikes available to hire for exploring the island. These include bikes suitable for all ages of children, trailers for toddlers and tag-alongs for younger children who can ride a bike but benefit from the added safety of being connected to mum or dad's bike!

Helmets and a map of the island are available to borrow free of charge. There are around 12 miles of road on the island that can be explored, and it is particularly pleasant in the evenings when there are few cars on the road.

We offer a reduced rate for guests staying at Sunnybrae:

babies and toddlers

We welcome children of all ages and know how stressful travelling with very young children can be! To make things easier we have a travel cot and highchair available for the use of guests, as well as bed bars. There are soft protective mattress covers on all the caravan beds, but if you feel you may need a more waterproof one then please just ask!

We especially recommend caravans 2 and 6 for families with small children as they are the furthest from the water. Van 6 is near the top of the site and is on a slightly higher level whilst van 2 has a larger grassed area in front of it for children to play on.

child friendly attractions

One of the most popular days out locally is to the Sea Life Centre located on the other side of Oban. It is a little different to many of the other Sea Life Centres dotted around the UK in that its main activity is as a seal rescue centre. There are a few resident seals that were not able to be released back into the wild, plus there are frequently seal pups being nursed back to health as well before being set free. Much of the focus of the centre is on UK wildlife and species which you find in the waters around Argyll. The centre offers hands on british shark feeding sessions and is always a big hit with children.

There are plenty of child friendly days out in the area, for example you can travel into the Hollow Mountain at Cruachan to see the hydro-electric plant (as featured on the Tweenies!). There are a good selection of castles in the area, including Torosay on Mull that can be visited by miniature steam train from close to the ferry port. In Oban there is also a swimming pool, and cinema for wet weather days. We also enjoy the museum down at Kilmartin Glen and the numerous castles in the area. Some of our guests go as far afield as Inverary (with its Jail, Castle and Maritime Museum) or to Fort William to ride on the cable cars.

One "attraction" that many small children want to see is Tobermory, home to the BBC's Balamory show. It is at the north end of Mull, and can be visited from here as a day trip. The best way is to take the ferry from Oban to Craignure and then catch one of the frequent buses to Tobermory. Taking a car over for the day can be more expensive on the ferry, but passenger tickets are very reasonable. If you would like to make this trip during your stay then please ask us for more information and timetables.

shopping

Oban still has a small town feel to it, with a large number of independent shops. However, there are also a range of high-street stores such as W H Smiths, Argos, Homebase, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Millets, M&Co (MacKays) in case you need to stock up on any holiday essentials while you are here.

But of course the best thing about summer holidays is being at the seaside! Luing has a range of beaches which are good for slate skimming, rock pooling and exploring. There are a wide range of boat trips in the area, ranging from short trips to see the seals from Oban to fast rib rides from Easdale. There are also whale and dolphin watching trips suitable for older children running from the neighbouring Isle of Seil.

If your children enjoy being out and about, and exploring than they should have a wonderful time here. If they prefer to spend their time plugged into a play station or mobile phone then maybe this would be the perfect excuse to drag them away from their "life support machines" and get them out in the fresh air!

If you have any questions, however small or silly they may seem please give us a call on 01852 314274!