Oban 12 July 2022

 

View over Kerrera (mid-distance) and Mull (far left) from Pulpit Hill in Oban.

Oban town, harbour and marina from Pulpit Hill

Very wet during the night but today is bright sunny windy and a bit cool (35C forecast for south England today). We are staying in Oban for the day - to get some exercise and to allow us to have a look at a fuel leak in the engine room.

A morning walk up to Pulpit Hill on the SE of the town is well worth it.  Lovely views over Oban and the islands to the west, though it was a bit misty today.

Lunch on board and then we checked the fuel/oil leak.  When ran the engines at 2200 rpm day before yesterday for just 5 minutes (we had been advised to do so every 7 hours by the Cat engineer) we put the engines under greater stress than normal and subsequently found a significant amount of oil in the sump.  We don’t know where it had come from. So, after lunch today we ran the suspected starboard engine at cruising revs for 10 minutes but could find no problem with it.  It seems that it will be a problem that we need to keep an eye on to see if it repeats itself.

Later in the afternoon we set off for another (short) walk, this time towards Dunollie Castle on the western edge of the town.  We didn’t get to visit it as it closed at 16.00.  However, on the way we came upon Fingal’s Dogstone.  Legend has it that this old raised sea stack is where the ancient heroic warrior of Celtic mythology, Fingal, would tie his mighty dog, Bran.  As Bran circled and struggled, fastened by a great chain, the base of the stack got worn away.  Bran was a big and strong animal, as described in an adaptation of James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson’s words:

With horse’s breast, with depth of chest

With breadth of loin and curve in groin

And nape set far behind the head -

Such were the dogs that Fingal bred.


Fingal’s Dogstone

A mile beyond Dunollie Castle is a beach called Ganavan Sands.  Well worth the walk.

Ganavan Sands

We were also very lucky on the way back to Oban to enjoy the company of a confiding (or hungry!) Red Squirrel as it ate its nut tea.


We decided against having a nut tea and instead went out for dinner to the Cuan Mor - a very busy pub restaurant with reasonable food.  




























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