Grey day

My first full day back has been grey, wet and windy. I went down to the Firth this afternoon to take a picture of the light on the Gantocks, but this caught my eye instead - it is the Strathclyde Police Launch passing Dunoon pier and making slightly heavy going of the conditions.

Awful news this morning probably set the tone for the day. After the sudden death in August of Cllr Donald Macdonald , I was devastated to be phoned just after 9.00 am by his replacement (elected only two weeks ago) Louise Glen Lee and told by her that another of our Oban Councillors Donald MacIntosh (Skye to everyone who knew him) had a massive heart attack last night and died very quickly. He had been very ill for a long time and was forced to undertake dialysis three times a week. Indeed he was in hospital when he died, but he was such a fixture and such a strong, brave man that it was a complete shock to everyone.

He will be sorely missed by his family, by the town of Oban and all he helped there, and by the party to which he was passionately faithful.