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"They say that Oban is home to many
damselflies. They’re our cousins, you know," Bruce said to Bonnie the
butterfly.
"Damselflies? Never heard of them.
Butterflies sounds so much nicer. Are they as pretty as we are?" Bonnie
asked.
"They’re dark green and blue or even
black. Not as bright and colorful as we are, no, but they are fast and
agile. Maybe we’ll run into one or two while we’re there. Oban’s just
around the corner and they say damselflies like white water lilies," Bruce
said as the butterflies fluttered onward. They came over the hill and
there it was, Oban.
"Lovely town. Look at all the
islands and the beautiful bay. I imagine this is a big tourist place and
that there’s a lot of fishing going on," Bonnie said.
"You’re right on both of those.
Ferries go in and out of the harbor all the time and there are so many sea
lochs filled with fish and shellfish that people come up here to visit
from the south and have some oysters. I don’t see what the big attraction
to oysters is, but to each his own," Bruce said. "I’d much rather have a
water lily."
There are a lot of castle ruins too.
I see 3 of them from here," Bonnie said.
"That one over there is called
Dunstaffnage Castle. It’s ancient and historical. They say there’s a ghost
that wanders about and she wears a green dress," Bruce commented.
"If there’s a ghost, we’re not going
there. Let’s find some flowers," Bonnie said. They fluttered down to a
rowan tree. "I like these berries. They’re very tasty."
"I am much more partial to holly
berries but these will do for now," Bruce hummed. Just then there was a
loud buzzing. "What’s that noise?"
Bonnie and Bruce looked up. "It’s
the damselflies. Do you think they’ve come to greet us?" Bonnie asked.
"We’ll soon find out," Bruce sighed.
The damselflies were soon hovering around them but then flew off towards a
pond full of white water lilies.
"They didn’t even speak to us. Some
cousins they are!" Bonnie humphed.
"Well, never mind them. There are
some waterfalls called the Falls of Iara. They’re quite lovely. We could
go and see them if you’d like," Bruce suggested.
"Bruce, I’d rather just find myself
a patch of bluebells and sit quietly sipping. Afterwards we can check out
that old coliseum-looking building up on the hill. What is it anyway?" she
asked.
"That? It’s called McCaig’s Folly or
McCaig’s Tower. A man named John Stuart McCaig built it a century ago but
it never got much past the outside walls. You do get a lovely view though
from up there," Bruce answered.
"Bruce, how do you know so much
about all this? I know some of the other butterflies have shared their
travel stories but how on earth do you remember it all?" Bonnie wondered.
"Aren’t you glad I do?" Bruce
laughed.
"Yes, I suppose. Now where are those
bluebells?" Bonnie said and the two fluttered away in search of a meal,
happy to have visited such a lovely town.
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