What do we have for you in this week’s Oban Times newspaper and online?
Oban is bursting at the seams with seasonal cheer thanks to the town’s fun packed Winter Festival, with crowds turning out for the opening parade to see a three metre high puppet lead the way from the Corran Halls to Station Square.
The Haggis and Whisky Festival will also descend on the Oban Distillery on Sunday, with a fancy parade and the winner of the Golden Haggis Award announced.
And on Saturday, the Oban Christmas lights switch-on will take place as Christmas comes early to Argyll.
It is judgement day for a controversial plan to demolish and replace the historic Oban Baptist Church to make more space for a growing congregation.
Elsewhere, an investigation has been concluded into an accident aboard the RSS David Attenborough polar research vessel off the coast of Mull.
CalMac’s first new ferry from the Ferguson Shipyard – MV Glen Sannox – in due in March, but Mull’s ferry group has claimed that CalMac don’t yet have enough confidence in the ship to factor it into next year’s winter timetable.
In this week’s Lochaber Times, a founder of Lochailort charity, Kirsty’s Kids has appealed to the Prime Minister for help as he enters his fourth week of hunger strike. John Bryden is protesting against a 24/7 Network Rail yard next door to the charity’s respite centre for sick children.
Meanwhile, a national charity has told fundraisers who left an ironing board on Ben Nevis to remove it. It is believed those responsible may have been doing extreme ironing.
In other news, there have been celebrations on Lismore this week as islanders gathered for the re-opening of the island’s only store and post office as a community ownership business. An initial Lismore Community Trust target of raising £70,000 through community shares and other sources has been far surpassed, with £80,000 raised to support the island’s only shop.
And the Scottish Government has announced that CalMac could be directly awarded the next contract for ferry services across Scotland’s west coast and the Hebrides.
In the sport, Oban’s Bob MacIntyre has secured his PGA tour card after a mixed performance at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
It’s a ‘Bullsaye’ as a popular West Highland Darts exhibition and top darts player return to Oban and Tobermory in May 2024.
We also have our weekly shinty round-up and Oban Saints marched on to the fourth round of football’s West of Scotland Cup.
And North Argyll cyclist, Mattis Robertson is saddling up for a French adventure next year after signing for a French team based near Lyon.
You can read all these stories by picking up copy of the Oban Times from local shops and petrol stations or by visiting www.obantimes.co.uk