Photo special: Festival transforms town into winter wonderland

The festival started with the Opening Parade on Friday November 15 and despite the rain, hundreds gathered at Corran Halls to take part in the march. 
 
The organising committee said: “The parade was wonderful with Coolio, Obanda and the fabulous dancing ladies in the lead. They were followed by a giant octopus created by local willow artist Tara Coggans and families took charge of the tentacles as the parade made its way through the streets, followed by children with 40 lanterns made at workshops run by Re Store and Hope Kitchen.”
 
The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Oceans and Seas’ and this year the Oban High School art department created 15 sea sculptures which they carried during the parade. Dancers from Laura Munro School of Dance and Sinclair School of Dance joined in too.
 
Festival-goers have also been taking in the dazzling lights and illuminations at the Winter Woods trail in Glencruitten which leads visitors around nautical-inspired installations made by individuals, schools and nurseries, community groups and businesses.
 
The creators of this year’s installations made use of recycled materials and Lochnell Primary School made their installation out of willow grown in the school garden. Another of the trail’s installations, a hairy highland cow, was made out of debris collected from the beaches of Argyll during marine litter surveys.
 
Actors from Spotlight Musical Theatre Group have been adding to the trail’s atmosphere and organisers said “bus drivers reported very happy families making their way back to town”.

 
On Saturday November 16 the town was taken over by shoppers keen to buy early Christmas gifts at festive markets spread across Corran Halls, The Royal Hotel, Perle Hotel and Oban Distillery.There were handmade goods and crafts to buy as well as tasty offerings at the food market. 
 
The Absurdist Pipe Band brought music and entertainment to the different markets in their elf suits and caused a few double takes from drivers as they paraded through the town’s streets. The Oban Winter Festival committee said: “The markets on Saturday were the busiest ever with record shoppers and stalls selling out early.”