Music, food and friendliness … what we do best on the west coast

I can’t believe the schools are back already. Where has this summer gone?

The summer isn’t over yet by any means, as the volume of visitors shows, but I always feel when the schools go back we’re one step closer to autumn.

I plan to make the most of what we have left of the summer and luckily there’s still lots to do.

I went out for lunch on Sunday to an Oban pub and ended up in the middle of a traditional music session chatting to people from Adelaide, Boston and Cumbernauld.

It was a fantastic mix of people and chat and they were blown away by the experience.

I think afternoons like that are part of what we do best on the west coast – music, food and friendliness.

It is certainly the things that are commented on most often when you speak to visitors and what they come here looking for. If the reaction of the folk I chatted to is anything to go by, they will be back and for longer next time.

Until they get here, they don’t seem to realise how much there is to see and do in this area – and two days just isn’t enough.

We have the Artemis Macaulay Shinty Cup final on Saturday afternoon between Kyles Athletic and Kinlochshiel. It is always a big day in the town.

For something a bit more gentle, the flower show is in Glencruitten Church Hall. Let’s all pray for sunshine for the weekend, if we all do it together, then someone might listen.

Last week’s photograph was of the old Water Houses behind The Original Factory Shop on Combie Street. I have no idea why they were called that so if anyone can enlighten me, I would be very grateful. Drop me a line to the email address at the top.

This week’s photograph is central but does require some effort to see it.