Day 15 Rain, clouds, castles and another movie set?!

First stop was at McCaig’s Tower in Oben, where we stayed the night.  Picture below of a well-conceived but ultimately a failed gift for his family and the community.  In 1897, Banker McCaig wanted to commemorate his family with a Roman Coliseum like structure above Oben.  

Also, he would keep many of the local stonemasons and sculptors busy creating this masterpiece and filling it with art.  But, alas, he unexpectedly died 5 years later with just the first two outer walls built, and construction ended.  Apparently his family had neither the time, money or interest to continue with his legacy.

Next we headed south to Kilmartin.  An indoor and outdoor museum about how the pre-scots lived going back 5,000 years.  Within 6 miles of the museum building, 800 archeological sites have been determined. 

 

These are two 'grave slabs'.  Basically tops of coffins.  The one on the left is dated 712, the right is from the 500's.  No bones underneath, just the slabs.  Hundreds of these are everywhere.

Below are a couple of pictures from Dunadd Fort.  This site goes back to the Iron Age, (3-400 BC).

It's been excavated several times in the last 100 years. The "footprint of fealty" sits at the top. You would put your foot into this carved imprint to swear your allegiance to your lord.  My foot was too big.

Inverarary for lunch and to view the Inverarary Castle.  Ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of Clan Campbell.  We didn’t pay to go into this one.  All castles are starting to look alike on the inside.  Lots of oil paintings, overstuffed chairs, china and sterling silver.  This one looked great from the outside, we settled for that memory.   Oh, this one is currently occupied by the above, he and his family live in the heated part of the 500 year old building.

Next, Kilchurn Castle.  This one is unrestored, but free.  Also, more like it really was in the 500 years ago.  Notice how thick the walls are with Tom in the lower right hand corner.

Finally, in walking through Ballachulish Quarry next door to our Airbnb We stumbled on, what we think is another movie or TV set.  Lots of trucks, and people.  After they all left, we went back and took a few pictures.  The Ballachulish Quarry was in full swing in the 19th century mining the slate roofing tiles we have found all over Scotland.  These make 200 year roofs.

My latest sheep shot.  This is an old guy.