McCaig's Tower

Anyone who has ever been to Oban knows McCaig's Tower, the folly standing above the town on Battery Hill.

John Stuart McCaig commissioned the tower between 1897 and 1902, partly as a monument to his family and partly as a philanthropic gesture in order to give men work during the winter months.

McCaig designed the tower himself, his love of Roman architecture giving it a distinct Coliseum feel. It was intended to house a museum and art gallery, as well as having a central tower to house statues of himself, his siblings and their parents. However his death in 1902 brought an early end to construction with only the outer walls completed.

Today there are public gardens inside with magnificent views over Oban bay and to the islands beyond - Kerrera, Lismore and Mull. In summer it is the scene of open air evening pipe concerts and Scottish dancing. There has even been a marriage ceremony within the walls. It is kind of romantic, if you don't think about the egotistical aspect of it.

The house is front is a typical Scottish house, probably built of the same local granite as McCaig's Tower.

We did have some sunshine, briefly today, but by the time I was free to take photos, it was once again raining.