Argyll Taxis parks up for good as Catherine retires after 40 years
Argyll Taxis made their last journeys through Oban on Tuesday after the founder of the popular business called time on a career spanning four decades.
Catherine Wylie set up the firm with her husband Bob more than 40 years ago, taking calls from their office, while Bob took locals and visitors to where they needed to be.
The 77-year-old was born and bred in Oban, with her love for the town and its people clear to see in the way she speaks about the company, and in the reaction to the announcement that Argyll Taxis would cease trading.
“I was quite emotional on Friday because it is the end of an era after 40-odd years of doing this job,” said Catherine.
The company started when she and her husband purchased two cars all those years ago, with it growing into a company often tasked with doing long-haul journeys across Argyll and further afield.
The husband-wife team worked long hours, seven days a week, with shifts in their office at Catherine’s home in the Soroba area often spanning 20 hours.
“We would quite often travel down to England and cover long distances, with local people and lots of visitors wanting to travel to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee,” Catherine explained.
Her daughter, Lorna Wylie was also involved in the taxi business, taking over from her father as the company continued to do “very good business”.
Catherine added: “We were very lucky to have the clientele that we had and despite some hard times, there were many fun times as well. Oban is a wonderful town with wonderful people and that has a lot to do with it.
“The people and the relationship that we had with them was really important. They have been really good to us, especially when we lost our son in a tragic accident.”
Sadly, her husband Bob passed away nine years ago.
Despite the sadness of calling time on her much valued role in Oban, Catherine is looking forward to spending more time with her family, which most recently saw the addition of two great-grandchildren.
She said: “I’m looking forward to going back to Barra because I love going there on holiday. My mother was from the island and I’ll be going there with my two marvellous great-grandchildren.”
In a statement on Facebook, Argyll Taxis added: “It’s been a constant and thriving business 7 days a week, and now is the time to spend with family, friends and more importantly great-grandchildren.
“Catherine would like to take this opportunity to thank all customers old and new for their continued custom, also all drivers past and present for working with Argyll Taxis.”