Lochwatch

I had a very busy day in Oban starting as a judge in the annual school debating competition and then moving on to help to open the MacMillan Cancer information scheme in the town library.

Subsequently I held an extraordinarily busy two hour surgery (to make up, perhaps, for the empty one on Friday) and then finished up at the Cruachan Visitor Centre on Loch Awe for a photo call with Lochwatch and the local police and fire service.

This is the Royal Life Saving Society Drowning Prevention Week which focuses attention on the dangers posed by water.   Around 70 people die by drowning in Scotland every year , 80% of whom are male and over 60% of whom die in inland waters.

Lochwatch - a voluntary body - was established after a  tragedy in 2009 in which four men died on Loch Awe.  Iain and Murray , who started it, have been tireless in ensuring that there are signs all round the loch urging people to wear life preservers.   They have also established key links with other agencies and have been involved with Scottish Government bodies, urging more attention to water safety on inland waters.  They now have a boat on the loch and work is going on to establish a base and access points including one at the Cruachan Power Staton.

Today's event draws further attention to this good work and I was very pleased to be part of it.