After breakfast, we visited McCaig's Tower.
High up above the town of Oban, the tower is an interesting
structure which affords panoramic views of the surrounding
land and sea.
We then drove to
Dunstaffnage Castle,
only a few miles from Oban. Dating from the 12th century, it is
one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland. It was in decline
by 1725 and the last tenant left in 1888. In 1903, some
restoration work was done. There were several fires over the
years and the castle was handed to the state in 1958.
The driveway to the castle - note the lovely blue skies!
The Courtyard
That's a fireplace in the middle of the photo!
Some internal floors have been restored.
The views from the battlements were extensive - it would have
been very difficult for invaders to arrive unseen!
The castle grounds include a very pleasant woodland...
...in which are the ruins of a chapel. As the building was
always a family chapel and not a parish church, it too was in
ruins by the middle of the 1700s.
As we were making our way toward Auchindrain,
near the village of Lochawe, we noticed a sign "Historic
Church". Of course, we investigated. To our amazement, we found
this huge building!
St
Conan's Kirk was built from 1881 - 1886 and then extended
in 1906-1914. It was designed by Walter Douglas Campbell who was
"a man of many interests and talents, a most capable, if
somewhat unorthodox professional architect, a determined
collector of everything from ships' timbers to medieval windows,
a skilled carpenter, and a building engineer." The church
includes a variety of architectural styles and many
idiosyncrasies of its builder. It was a fascinating place to
visit!
The Cloister Garth
![](images5/IMG_7861.jpg")
An angel helping to hold up the roof
St Michael defeating Satan
Let there be light
This effigy is of Walter Douglas Campbell
The organ screen. Originally, there was a pipe organ but an
electronic instrument has now replaced it.
The practical but not very interesting lectern
Looking towards the east end
These stalls are for the local lairds.
Detail of above
An investigation of the exterior of the building also yielded
much of interest.
