Calls are being made for the protection and preservation of Oban’s most notable landmark after cracks appeared on McCaig’s Tower.
Argyll and Bute Council is having the listed Historic Monument assessed following reports from concerned town residents.
Maggie Clayton spotted a crack running from the top of the tower, down through the stonework and into one of the arched windows.
On closer inspection, the blocks within the arch appear to be moving apart. The damage can be seen on the section of tower situated opposite Duncraggan Road.
Maggie said: “I was out walking, I don’t know why I noticed it, but I stopped to look at the view. The crack runs from the very top down to an arched window. You can see daylight through it, right through to the other side. The arch in the window has been displaced slightly.”
She voiced her concerns with the Information Oban Facebook group. Andy Spence, chief executive of Bid4Oban, agreed to raise the issue with the local authority.
Maggie added: “Someone needs to have a look at it, in case it’s structural. It would be awful if a lump fell out of it. McCaig’s Tower is the focal point of Oban. It is a one off, there is nothing else like it in the country. We wouldn’t want to see it falling into disrepair.”
John Stuart McCaig built the tower in 1897 to provide a lasting monument to his family. It was also to provide work to local stonemasons during the winter months.
Fiona Ferris, who lives next door to the tower, is one of the closest living relatives to the McCaig family.
She said that today Argyll and Bute Council is the custodian of the tower and its public garden, and while she believes they do a good job of taking care of the garden, she thinks they should do more to protect the iconic structure.
“It is the trademark of Oban. We are very lucky to have it. It is a gift to the town for locals to enjoy and to sell Oban to tourists. Yet it has been left to just rot. What would Oban be without it? People use it to promote the town, on their logos, to promote businesses but nobody promotes the tower.
“People walk all the way up here and it is a disgrace that there is no information. They don’t know what they are looking at. People should be able to shelter inside a visitor centre and find out all about it. “If they had a gift shop, toilets or visitor centre, it could cover the cost of repairs required,” said Fiona.
And added: “Allowing firework displays to come out of the structure at New Year can’t be good for it. We can feel the whole house shaking.”
Her husband Tam agreed. He said: “The council should do something about it before it’s too late.”
A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “We are aware of the cracks and we are making arrangements to have them assessed.”
McCaig’s original plans allowed for a museum and art gallery with a central tower to be incorporated.