The weather was much improved this morning. We could actually see the summit of Ben Nevis, at 4,406 feet, the highest mountain in Great Britain. Locals were out walking their dogs along the canal, and a few fishermen were trying their luck in the sea loch.
Our little ship set sail from Corpach, place of the corpses, to venture down Loch Linnhe to Oban. As we approached the Corran Narrows with its busy car ferry, the wind freshened a bit and a light mist created a beautiful rainbow off our starboard side. Because of the fine sailing conditions, Captain Jim Still suggested that we make a small deviation in our route to see Ballachulish Bridge and a view toward Glen Coe, a beautiful place with a very sad history. On February 13, 1692 a force of Campbell militia massacred about 38 members of the MacDonald clan to serve as an example of the fate for those who supported the Jacobite cause.
As we continued down Loch Linnhe, expedition leader Steve gave a talk about Iona and St. Columba. During his talk, Lord of the Glens slowly caught up to a fishing vessel surrounded by hungry gulls. Suddenly, a much larger, dark bird swooped amongst the gulls. A closer inspection revealed it to be the rare magnificent white-tailed sea eagle.
As we approached Oban, Konia gave us an overview of what to expect in this quaint seaside town and pointed out historic castles and other sites along the way.
After lunch, we went exploring Oban and then met at 4 p.m. for a tour of the Oban Distillery and a tasting of single malt whisky, of course. Then some of us made the climb up to McCaig's Tower, more often called McCaig's Folly, for a panoramic view of town. This Roman coliseum-like structure was the idea of John Stuart McCaig to honor himself and his family. Construction was begun in the late 19th century but McCaig died in 1902 and it was never completed.
After dinner, the musical group Peat Reek came aboard to entertain us with traditional and contemporary Scottish music and song. All in all, a very delightful day in the Scottish Highlands.
