Mc Caig's Tower

A very mixed day weatherwise today. Showery but glorious between showers, wotked in the garden in the norning then headed to Oban ( about 50 miles away ) for a hospital apointment.
Very wild and wet on the way there but glorious when we arrived in Oban so headed up to the top of Mc caig's Tower , a very steep uphill climb which we would normally do on foot but this time we drove to the tower car park. The tower was full of a group of American teenagers climbing all over the viewpoint. Just as well the sky towards the islands from the viewpoint was too bland for a decent shot but facing the opposite direction the sky was a picture sky, brilliant blue with lovely clouds , so tonight the shot is the entrance arch and the arched windows adjacent to the entrance.
I remember watching a performance of " A Midsummer Night's Dream " in the tower at midsummer, the preformance was wonderful but we were eaten alive by midges.
Below is some info on the tower ( I googled it)

OK, why does a town in the Scottish Highlands have a Roman style colosseum dominating the skyline and standing guard like some monolithic sentinel?

It's all thanks to John Stuart McCaig (1824 - 1902) who was responsible for it's construction over a five year period from 1895 until his death in 1902.
Why?

His idea was two fold - to keep local stonemasons employed during the winter months and to provide a lasting monument to the McCaig family. The original plan was that the structure would have a roof enclosing an art gallery, another central tower with statues of the family in prominent positions.
By the time McCaig died and having spent five thousand pounds - a considerable sum in those days - only the outer wall had been completed and he made provision in his will for one thousand pounds a year towards the completion of the project. Surviving family members had other ideas for the money and the will was successfully challenged with the judge describing McCaig as "eccentric testator". Personally I think that the tower as it is now with it's viewing platform, seats and well kept garden is a fitting tribute to such a philantropic victorian gent.

Up until around 15 years ago inside McCaigs Tower was just a tangle of weeds and discarded rubbish - many a game of 'cops n robbers', 'goodies n baddies' was played out there. Luckily the local council had the foresight to develop the grounds and today it takes it rightful place amongst the most popular attractions in the area.