Toilets are needed at McCaig’s Tower

Sir,

I read the recent article ‘Disgust as human faeces found at Oban attractions’ (The Oban Times, September 7) and felt that I should repeat the stories told to me by residents of the area around the car park at McCaig’s Tower.

Not only has one resident been pestered for years for permission to use her toilet, but others tell of frequent use of their gardens as toilets by visitors to the tower.

I can testify to this as the path behind my garage has recently been used – a disgusting sight to come across first thing in the morning.

I’m aware that there has been a longstanding demand for facilities at the tower car park. Apparently a local contractor offered to build and maintain free of charge a small toilet facility in a space created when the council compulsorily purchased several lock-up garages a while ago. This offer was not taken up for various reasons, but the need remains, as is proved by the continuing use by visitors of local gardens and the car park itself as toilets.

The council has replied by saying: ‘Oban has sufficient public toilet facilities.’ This may be so, but they are located at Pulpit Hill, Ganavan Beach, the library, the railway station and the North Pier. These will not help an elderly tourist who has slogged up to McCaig’s Tower only to find that there is nowhere to go.

In the short term, maybe all the signs directing tourists to McCaig’s Tower should have an addition pointing out that there are no toilets there. If we take tourism seriously in this town, we ought to at least provide suitable facilities. Maurice Wilkins, Keep Oban Beautiful.