Dancing in Oban

For 40 years I have lived in Oban, the getaway to the islands, where Scottish music and dance is never far away. Scottish Country dancing both as a teacher and dancer is a huge part of my life. I have chosen for my journey stone the opening 4 bars of the tune ‘The Hills of Lorn’ composed by local man Charlie Hunter, Taynuilt . It is the lead tune for a favourite dance, ‘Autumn In Appin’ - Appin being 18 miles north of Oban. Also included are the dance shoes of my husband, Gordon and myself.

I am part of the Dam Stitchers group, who worked on the Cruachan Dam panel. By coincidence I have a strong family connection with Cruachan Power Station. My father-in-law, Jimmy Porter, was one of the first engineers brought in to set up the control room documentation while the station was being built and worked as a shift charge engineer there until his retiral. Gordon joined Cruachan in 1982, also working as a shift charge engineer, until his retiral. Thus, it was very special to be able to stitch some of the turbines on the panel in this amazing project.