Hundreds of children visit Dunollie
SINCE its creation in 2014, Dunollie Links has grown to be an exciting asset for sharing the fascinating heritage of Oban with its community.
With objects and archives still being discovered in Dunollie to this day, the team at Dunollie Projects thoroughly enjoy creating new and innovative ways to engage all ages. Over the past 18 months, Dunollie Links co- ordinator Melanie Davies has drawn a huge focus towards education through an array of heritage workshops and outdoor learning.
Melanie said: ‘ With our great woodland spaces and so much history at our fingertips, Dunollie is about the closest thing that you can get to a time machine. It’s been lovely to see so many children enjoying visits to Dunollie and taking an interest in their local heritage and natural spaces.’
Dunollie has become a hive of activity over the winter, with schools queuing up to participate in different workshops from Vikings, Victorians and butter-making to planting, growing and art in the woodlands.
Melanie has welcomed 14 visits this year, from Oban’s St Columba’s, Park and Taynuilt Nursery and has delivered workshops to just under 300 children.
Dunollie Links supports the Pathways Programme run by Oban High School. Since August 6 students have undertaken unique projects at Dunollie, each tailored to fit the pupils’ interests.
Clare MacCallum has been researching Dunollie’s ancient costume collection and has created designs for two interactive dressing-up panels for visiting children.
Bridget Cox has been following her interest in ar- chiving, working with one of Dunollie’s regular volunteers, Jennifer Shaw, to discover some of the fascinating writings and letters dating back to the 1700s from the MacDougall Clan.
Bridget said: ‘I have had the chance to work with primary sources which directly relate to my local area, which has given me a personal connection to lots of areas of my town and taught me about its history. Overall, my experience at Dunollie and in the archives has expanded my knowledge of sources in history and improved my historical skills which I hope has prepared me for doing it at university.’
Students Olivia MacLeod and Keira MacIntyre wanted to look more in depth at the lifestyles of the MacDougall family and workers on the estate. It came to light in Olivia’s research that workers were treated well, with Mary Webster a cook to the clan earning an annual sala- ry of around £25 to £ 30 in 1887.
After studying the collection by Miss Hope MacDougall, Keira was fascinated to learn that before washing machines many of the residents of Oban would wash their clothes in the Black Lynn and then later a Tannery Burn when houses in the north began to do their laundry.
It is not only the history of Dunollie which provides opportunities for work experience. Louis Reeves has been getting green-fingered in the garden under the guidance of Mary Freer. They have been working in the pond and preening the grounds for opening for visitors in April.
Student Mary Donnelly has also been working on a new woodland information box which includes panels detailing some of the native animals that can be found at Dunollie, which has been designed and developed with the tech department at Oban High School.
‘The partnership between Oban High and Dunollie has been fantastic, and we hope to be able to continue this through future Pathway opportunities,’ said Aisling Clark from Oban High.
With the success of this year’s schools and Pathways programme, Dunollie looks forward to welcoming more students as the historic site continues to flourish.