On Saturday morning the sky was blue, the sea like glass… an ideal day for a sail. A huddle of Tirisdeachs and members of the Oban & Lorne Strathspey and Reel Society clambered onto the good ship Islander (a catamaran actually) for a jaunt to the bonny Isle of Lunga. As we motored along at a not insubstantial pace, we were joined by a pod of around 100 dolphins. These curious and friendly creatures played beside our boat whilst cameras clicked, though they weren’t easy to photograph as they were so quick in the water! Not to be outdone, a minky whale swam silently past, but was unmoved by the commotion and disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. On arrival at Lunga we picked our way across the boulders on the shore and made for higher ground. It was a beautiful day for a picnic and having found a sunny spot amongst the bluebells we sat down to eat. However the lure of sandwiches lost its appeal when puffins congregated around us. These brightly painted birds are so tame and charismatic, and seemed quite happy to strike a pose for the camera! Two hours seemed to pass so quickly and then we were back on our boat and homeward bound… but our idyllic day was not yet over.
On Saturday evening An Talla opened its doors to the community and the Oban & Lorne Strathspey and Reel Society treated us to a programme of traditional Scottish music. Fiddlers, box players, guitarists and a pianist joined together to fill the hall with beautiful haunting melodies followed by upbeat, toe tapping, hand clapping tunes. Our own young Tiree people also took a turn to entertain us – what a talent we have here on the island! All profits from the concert will go to the Heylipol Fabric Appeal Fund and we would like to say a big thank you to the Oban & Lorne Strathspey Society for their generosity, and also to the young musicians who took part and all who supported this event. (Photos from the trip to Lunga and of the concert are in the Gallery section of the website).