Offer to put Oban clan in the pictures
AN ARTIST from Argentina is planning to present the Clan MacDougall with a painting he did of Dunollie Castle.
Mario Alejandro Mac Dougall, who traces his ancestry back to 1825 in Oban, is proud of his West Highland roots and has visited the Oban area twice.
Now Mario is keen to make another return to the town to present his artwork to the clan which gave him his surname. Mario contacted The
Oban Times to explain his idea and said: ‘In 1825 my great-great-grandfather Hugh MacDougall, with his wife Janet Douglas and his children James, Christina, Catherine, Janet and Mary, left Oban to travel to the River Plate in South America, which we know today as Argentina. I am one of their descendants.
‘ I don’t know why they left Scotland. In that time my country was a land of opportunities and Hugh was a farmer who ended up with a lot of land. He eventually had 23 children with two wives.
‘I have visited Oban on two occasions and wanted to see the MacDougall castles at Dunollie, Gylen on Kerrera and elsewhere.
‘ When I was young I painted frequently but my occupation prevented this activity for a long time. Then, 30 years later, I started to paint again and did two oil paintings. One of them was inspired by Dunollie Castle and other Gylen Castle.
‘ The next time I visit Oban, I will take the Dunollie painting with me as a present to the Clan MacDougall.’
Exactly when that will be remains uncertain as Mario is unsure of his travel plans.
He added: ‘I would like to go to Oban with my family but it is more expensive for us as I have three children – Alen Maria, 26, Alwina Maria, 24, and Ian Ramsay, 22.
‘ I am considering the possibility of visiting Edinburgh this year, but I have not thought of visiting Oban because it is not within my budget.
‘ I don’t know if I have any relatives in Oban but in the cemetery of the isle of Seil is the tomb of Mary MacDougall, Hugh’s mother.’
If anyone knows of relatives who would like to contact Mario, email details to mlaing@obantimes.co.uk.