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Demolition has begun of the Harbour Bowl building in Oban to make way for a new Premier Inn hotel. We asked readers for their memories.
Willie Reid lamented: ‘I remember the beautiful old station being destroyed to make way for a huge, ugly white elephant that lay empty for years, some shoddily built and overpriced yuppie flats, a glorified pound shop, and a so called coffee shop that sells possibly the worst coffee on the planet. Welcome to Oban.’
Kenny MacKenzie praised: ‘It’s a good thing for the town. Promotes competition in the hotel trade and shows the town is progressing with new investment. It has lain empty and burned out for far too long. The fact that visitors to the town were dropped off beside a run down and shabby bowling alley was a little bit of a local embarrassment.’
Arlene Campbell recalled: ‘Going to work there on a Monday morning and finding out the owner had done a runner therefore left with no job ... good riddance I say! Was only ever busy on a Saturday anyway! Looking forward to premier inn coming to town :).’
Murdo MacKenzie said: ‘ An absolute tyrant running the place. Making customers feel unwelcome, changing the rules every day on what age you have to be to be in the bowling alley without adult supervision.’ Gordon Cooper wrote: ‘Absolute white elephant with ... glad to see the back of it. Well, front and sides too - being demolished! A new hotel too. Oban is thriving.’
Jack Ramsay remembered: ‘Great memories of the bowling alley at bull sale time, use to have an annual match Mull versus the rest of the world. Tom Nelson captained the Mull team with his yet to be wife and Kenneth Headspeath , I captained the rest of the world team along with James Andrew and the late Andy Buccanan. The banter was vicious, great times!’
Andrew Shaw suggested: ‘ Should of knocked it down with a giant bowling ball.’ Hannah Karpinski pointed out: ‘I’ve lived here nearly seven years and it’s been closed the whole time so my thought is “about time”.’
Ian Rodgers quipped: ‘ Was it actually open to the public at one point?’
Nathalie Porter posted: ‘Saturday night disco. Never went to the bowling alley.’ Euan Beynon said: ‘grandad appreciated the indoor bowls upstairs for a wee while!’