Oban isn’t short of places to stop for coffee, which makes the speed at which Anchor & Steam has found its following all the more impressive. Tucked along George Street, a little away from the busiest stretch around the harbour, this independent coffee bar and lifestyle store has been built around a simple idea: slow things down, make the coffee properly and create somewhere people actually want to spend time.

Coffee sits at the heart of it. Anchor & Steam works with speciality beans sourced from around the world and roasted in the Highlands, with different roasts giving regulars and more curious coffee drinkers plenty to explore. One recent Kenyan Samburu coffee, roasted across the water on the Isle of Mull, neatly sums up the approach – globally sourced coffee with a distinctly west coast connection.

There is plenty alongside it. Dirty chai, teas and other drinks share the counter with home baking and sweet treats, with tablet, brownies and other properly indulgent bakes providing good reason not to make yours a takeaway. A small seating area by the window makes an especially pleasant place to stop, whether you’re catching up with someone, getting a little work done or simply escaping the bustle outside.

The other half of Anchor & Steam is equally considered. Shelves around the shop are filled with homeware, gifts and pieces from independent makers, with an emphasis on Scottish and west coast businesses. Handmade soaps, candles, ceramics, artwork and other carefully chosen finds make it as easy to leave with a gift as it is a bag of coffee beans.

That local focus extends beyond the shop itself. Anchor & Steam regularly appears at markets and events, while its mobile coffee trailer, The Coastal Pour, takes its barista-made coffee out on the road around Scotland.

Most importantly, it still feels personal. The warm welcome and willingness to stop for a conversation come up again and again among those who visit, and there is a genuine community feel behind what the team is building.

For visitors, it is a lovely independent find away from Oban’s obvious stops. For locals, it is increasingly becoming exactly what every good coffee shop hopes to be: somewhere worth returning to.