Oban Argyll

Here is a story about another tower. Genesis 11: 1-9. This is God speaking: “The people can all speak one language, and there will be no stopping them at what they can do. Let us go down and make them unable to understand each other” and so God scattered the people so they lived all over the earth. They stopped building their tower because they couldn’t cooperate.

Sandy’s short version. A full version is interesting.

Look far into the picture. Can you see something like a crown. Arches in a circle. Have you ever thought of what skills you would need to be a stonemason? Let me remind you: dexterity to work with a Chesil and hammer. Strength to hold them for long periods. Focus so you do not break the stone too much. Excellent mathematical skills to read complex plans and communicate with other construction workers.

John Stuart Mc Caig in 1897 wanted to provide work for the stonemasons who were out of work. He decided to leave a lasting legacy of the McCraig Tower. A tower with views and a garden of shrubs inside.

He left £1,000 a year for it to be continued but once he died in 1902 his family challenged this in court and had the building of the tower stopped. Let us look at the bay in the light of evening and remember someone else inspired by this area.

Felix Mendelssohn a German composer who lived from 1809 – 1847 visited Oban and composed his Hebrides Overture after being inspired by Fingal’s Cave on Staffa. I often feel sad when I notice how young these artists were and what they died from. He was 38 and died from aneurysmal subarachnoid. haemorrhage.

Other artists whose names are listed as visitors are on a board in the bay:  Dr.  Samuel Johnson, Sir Walter Scott,  William Wordsworth, J M W Turner but then 200 longships from Norway were not welcomed.

In 1263 King Haakoniv of Norway came to Horseshoe Bay. He and his 20,000 men lost the battle of Largs to Alexander III, a sign that the Viking rule of Scotland was over.

Sabbath we spent with a group of worshipers in our church in Crieff.  They had a bring-and-share meal and with a basket of easy-to-put-together food from Bugzy we caught up with what had happened to friends from long ago.  

Then it was to the lake. Last night we were out of WiFi range so my posts are not as usual.

I love seeing and painting what I feel I see so here is Alban Bay and the field opposite the lake we stopped at.

Here are a few things Felix Mendelssohn said:

The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.

Ever since I began to compose, I have remained true to my starting principle: not to write a page because no matter what public, or what pretty girl wanted it to be thus or thus; but to write solely as I, myself thought best, and as it gives me pleasure.

…music is so absorbing, and carries us so far away from town, country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly a blessed gift of God.

Felix Mendelssohn

Thank you for reading my post.

Sandy 🙂