Festive chaos as storms blast Argyll and the Isles

Festive chaos as storms blast Argyll and the Isles

STORMS named Barbara and Conor wreaked havoc in Oban and

The perfect Christmas present

A baby boy due on January 1 arrived on Christmas

Hunt goes on for missing Crystalla

POLICE are continuing their inquiries into the disappearance of Crystalla

Waste collections remain the same

BIN COLLECTION days will remain the same over the new

Teenager held over alleged assault

A 19-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in the early hours of

Couple arrested on drugs charges

A MAN and a woman, both aged 52, were arrested

Man injured in attack by dog

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an incident at 10am

Website promotes safety on the water

MEMBERS of the public can find out what is being

Worrying warning for dog owners

AS PEOPLE get out and about over the festive period

Mull seaman celebrates 52 years in trade union

A MULL seaman has been recognised by a trade union

New play opens national tour in Oban

A NEW play is to begin touring Scotland after its

Register your child for school

CHILDREN in Argyll and Bute who become five years old

Changes to grant fund allocations

ARGYLL and Bute Council is changing the way it distributes

Book launch

LIFE and events on Islay have been well chronicled over

Standing stones

AN ITEM in a recent Islay letter referring to the

Blessings

AS WE stand at the cusp of a new year,

New investment aims to improve quality of Oban’s drinking water

PIPES in Oban are to be refurbished to ensure customers

Tenants’ praise for housing association

ARGYLL Community Housing Association (ACHA) has published its third annual

Sports hub meets for first time in Oban

OBAN Community Sports Hub has gathered for its first official

Is the Old Inn haunted by a hanged murder culprit?

STRANGE goings-on at a pub central to the trial convicting

Keep teaching music for free

ARGYLL, the Highlands and islands are synonymous with music, especially

Inspired by Ann’s campaign

IT WAS interesting to note Argyll and Bute MSP Michael

Happy new year

THE PAST year has been, without doubt, a strange one

Get in touch with your thoughts

DO YOU have something you want to share? Let me

Farewell to the deer

‘MY HEART’S in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

Mental health services move

ARGYLL and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) is

Fort William charity sparkles with £25,000 for hospital ward

A FORT William charity set up in memory of a

All aboard the Santa express

STAFF and nursery children from St Columba’s School, Fort William,

New drive to set up community council

THE OBAN Times has learned that the Highland Council will

Crowds flock to town’s museum

VISITOR numbers to the West Highland Museum in Fort William

Fort William charity sparkles with £25,000 for hospital ward

A FORT William charity set up in memory of a

All aboard the Santa express

STAFF and nursery children from St Columba’s School, Fort William,

New drive to set up community council

THE OBAN Times has learned that the Highland Council will

Crowds flock to town’s museum

VISITOR numbers to the West Highland Museum in Fort William

Storms blast Lochaber and Isles

WINDS of up to 104mph were recorded on the Western

Skye’s Lola has festive card down to a fine art

A PRIMARY seven pupil on the Isle of Skye has

Community groups all smiles after cash windfall

COMMUNITY groups which help the elderly live more connected, fulfilling

Plockton resident is true community champion

A PLOCKTON stalwart who has dedicated most of his life

Fort William entrepreneur’s heart is in Lochaber

A FORMER police officer from Fort William who gave up

Santa makes a splash at RNLI festivities

THE Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI has raised around £1,200 at

William’s special gift

CARE home dog William’s Christmas wish of a new hip

Naughty guests beware at boutique hotel with quirk

A FORMER Fort William police station is to be transformed

Campaign nets drink drivers

TWENTY-THREE drink drivers were caught by police in the Highlands

Touring opera to visit Strontian

SCOTTISH Opera is visiting Strontian as part of its tour

Motorists warned of A82 disruption

WORKS at Primrose Bay (Alt Sigh) on the A82 will

Partnership celebrates deal to save ‘Harry Potter’ forest

AN AMBITIOUS organisation has succeeded in the race against time

Youngsters put on a show

Farewell to the deer

‘MY HEART’S in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

Tech-savvy school wins top award

A SCHOOL in Lochaber has been recognised for its use

Ellen has designs on card contest

AN ARDGOUR primary school pupil won Lochaber Housing Association’s design

Schools rally to foodbank’s novel Christmas initiative

SCHOOLS from across Lochaber have been contributing to a foodbank

Highlands best for self-catering breaks

FORT William and Glencoe have come out on top for

View from the Chamber

THE OUTDOOR Capital of the UK is proud to support

The perfect Christmas present

A baby boy due on January 1 arrived on Christmas

Waste collections remain the same

BIN COLLECTION days will remain the same over the new

Teenager held over alleged assault

A 19-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in the early hours of

Couple arrested on drugs charges

A MAN and a woman, both aged 52, were arrested

Man injured in attack by dog

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an incident at 10am

Kilgraston School is a leading boarding and day school for girls aged Five to 18

In November 2016, Kilgraston was named ‘top performing independent school

Glenalmond College

2017 sees the start of an exciting new phase of

Dollar Academy

Founded in 1818, Dollar Academy is thought to be the

Why do parents send their children to independent schools in ever-growing numbers?

Parents choose to send their children to independent schools for

Strathallan – Green space, a home from home and an exceptional breadth of opportunities for boarders and day pupils alike

Located in the heart of Perthshire but with easy access

Lomond School – Making every moment count

EVERY parent knows childhood is a precious time and most

Viewpoint

Write to us: send your letters to editor@obantimes.co.uk or The

Park Bar anniversary album on its way

OVER the course of 2016, I have mentioned a couple

What’s on

Saturday January 7: Glasgow Skye Association new year family ceilidh

Social media

OUR story reporting Labour MSP Rhoda Grant criticising the SNP

New constituencies will be a travesty

I will give your contributor (D Rixson, The Oban Times,

2016 has been a momentous year

As December draws to a close, we can finally take

Government plans for HIE will be ruinous

Professor Jim Hunter, in a campaigning article in a daily

Grateful to a fine pay corps officer

In The Oban Times of December 1 I was interested

Nursery director’s proud links to Argyll

Thank you for the editorial coverage of the opening of

Beachd Ailein

‘S GANN A CHREIDEAS mi gum bheil bliadhna air a

In the spirit of Christmas Primary children steal the shows

A NATIVITY story told through the eyes of a donkey

Midwinter reflections

AS WE recover from one of the year’s biggest celebrations

Festive tales and fine rhymes

We recently put out a call to our readers asking you to write a short story or a few lines of poetry on a subject that inspired you, and we have been overwhelmed by your response. Argyll and Lochaber are certainly home to a wealth of hidden talent. Here, you can read the second of the submissions following on from last week's batch. Enjoy! A short story winner and a poetry winner will both be chosen

Santas are caught on the run … with a little help from an elf and a pudding

SANTA, a snowman, an elf and a Christmas pudding were

Torment

The man leant forward, his head lolling to one side:

Football fanatic Davie scores with top honour from Queen’s New Year’s list

OBAN Saints Football Club secretary David Buchanan was awarded the

It’s anchors aweigh as toddler Blair makes sure CalMac ferry in shipshape

A CALMAC super fan was treated to a special New

Henry blows a hoolie with ferries feeling its full force

STORM Henry caused more than one-third of all CalMac sailings

Magical night as Hogwarts comes to Oban bookshop

THE WORLD of Hogwarts came to Oban in February, as

Cheers for Murdo as he enjoys his first ‘legal’ pint

IT HAS taken 72 years, but leap year baby Murdo

Who needs an ambassadog? Oban already has the purrfect tour guide

VISITSCOTLAND’S search for an ambassador dog has left an Oban

Mary’s Meals reaches out to the Middle East

MOVED by the suffering of Syrian refugees forced to flee

Oldest land-based fossil discovered on Kerrera

A FOSSILISED 440-millionyear-old fungus which kick-started the human race has

Margaret is voted Angel of the Year

OBAN volunteer carer Margaret MacLeod has been named Angel of

Son inspires Dunbeg dad’s charity cycle challenge

A DUNBEG father is planning to cycle more than 900

Last train leaves Mull … and a tourism void

THE iconic Isle of Mull railway, which transported passengers for

Oban comes alive as town welcomes stars and crowds for two-day music festival at Mossfield

MAY’s Oban Live open-air concert drew 9,000 visitors to Mossfield

Dunollie Castle re-opens after major repair and renovation project

DUNOLLIE Castle re-opened after renovations costing £260,000. Collapsing masonry had

Journey to trace ancestors was ‘like going home’

AN AMERICAN descendant of Lismore’s last weaver, John MacDougall, returned

Time to celebrate a busy year down on the farms

It looks like the tups have been working well since

Crofters flock to roadshows

MORE than 250 crofters attended the recent crofting roadshows organis

Progress made to protect livestock

THE past 12 months have seen real progress being made

Farmers reminded of cattle changes

THE WAY cattle movements are recorded in Scotland changes from

‘Dampening’ effect of LBTT in Scotland

The introduction of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)

Is 2017 the year to buy your first home?

AN ANNOUNCEMENT in November by the Council of Mortgage Lenders

Set a safer driving New Year resolution

BEWARE the 28 per cent of motorists looking at their

FERGUSSON

Peacefully at the Lorn and Islands Hospital, Oban on December

GRAY (Luing)

Peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on December 16, 2016,

JACKSON

At Lorn and Islands Hospital on December 22, 2016, James

KEIR

Eleanor Louise passed away on Sunday December 18, 2016, at

MACCORQUODALE

Peacefully at Lorn and Islands Hospital, on December 24, 2016,

McDAVID

After a short illness at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy on

SINCLAIR

Peacefully, in the loving care of the staff at North

ANDERSON

Peggy, passed away December 29, 2012, aged 95 years, 17

CAMERON

In loving memory of Angus, dearly loved husband, dad and

HAY

In loving memoryof our wonderful mum and gran, Mary née

LAMONT

In loving memory of my dear husband Willie, who passed

MACCALLUM

- In loving memory of Henrietta (Babs), who died December

MACQUARIE

In loving memory of my dear wife Jessie who passed

MACQUARIE

- In lovingmemory of a dear sister, aunt and great-aunt

MUNN

In loving memory of Mary Ann, a dearly loved mother,

Christmas concert will go down as ‘one of the best’

THE Rotary Club of Oban held its annual Christmas carol

Festive feast of music at Taynuilt Christmas ceilidh

AT TAYNUILT’S Christmas ceilidh, young local pipers Emma Hill and

Thought for the week

‘Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I

Shinty review of the season - part 1

With the year drawing to a close, The Oban Times looks back at the shinty stories which made the news in 2016

Sports review of the year – part one

THERE was no sign of a New Year hangover as

Narrow win for Golden Oldies

OBAN Celtic Shinty Club held its annual Boxing Day challenge

MARTIAL RTS WITH IAN RODGER

The Caledonia Kyokushin clubs held grading tests in Oban and

Saints on Scottish Cup duty

OBAN Saints will return to action after the Christmas and

Point at Clach moves Fort off the foot of the table

FORT William moved off the bottom of the Highland League

Santa ‘n’ Elves fun run

KIDS and adults were left exhilarated and buzzed up for

Bowlers hold festive fun night at the Nevis Centre

FINISHING up for the festive season in style, Fort William’s

Cruim Leaccain Hill Race

LOCHABER athletics club held it’s boxing day race on Monday

Boxing Day bash at Banavie

TEAMS formed up on boxing day this year for the