Thursday 16 October
Observe duet competition - some nice, some … unusual. Nice to see particpants from Australia and Canada as well as Seattle.  Pop in on Gold Medal Final - should have been up there…. Jenna lovely – I knew she would win, so natural. Lovely to have two Highland younsters winning together, Darren Maclean from Skye and Jenna from Inverness. Well, at least it means, she won’t be competing next year…! Halls crowded. Catering crowded and, even worse, no beer tent! But skies still blue. Humerous dialogue is successful. The adjudicator laughed all the way through - me in my tea pot hat and wrinkly stocainnean. Win first prize of £10 - buys another round. Quartet rehearsal - complex, contemporary arrangement of a new song by Beauly musician Willie Gilmour - we like a challenge…. Choir rehearsal with Inverness Gaelic Choir lasts till 11.30pm and nerves are somewhat fraught by the end. But what’s a Mod without a few tears. Hotel bars all crowded with rural choirs now celebrating after their competitions today – the Mod is definitely in town.
 

Friday 17 October
Lovat day - beautiful weather again. Inverness Gaelic Choir Quartet perform first thing - we got through it! Later find out we got top marks in Gaelic - didn't win, but we enjoyed it. Haven't seen daughter for two days - living it up with the Sabhal Mor Ostaig crew, in Mactavishes Kitchen, I think. Ladies choir perform creditably and puirt too - come second in that to Dingwall Gaelic Choir who also win ladies and men’s choirs - are they going to make it an unheard of double by winning Lovat again for 2nd year running?!  Come on - Go Sneckers go!! Nip along to Mactavishes to sing for Radio nan Gaidheals live ceilidh - great audience, and squeeze in a plug for Seinn o ho ro Seinn. Choir rehearse in sun on the front and sing well – I think we get extra marks for having a 6ft 7" Australian conductor from Wogga Wogga. Placed 5th, just behind Dingwall in 4th place - oh dear! Honours go to Glasgow Islay Choir - lovely. Yippee that’s the work over! I have to sing at concert - maybe the Beeb will put me on this year. Late night/early morning celebrations ensue with a few gentle libations.
 

Saturday 18 October
Massed choirs on pier in sunshine. 500 choristers join in singing Canan nan Gaidheal - wonderful. Kenny Thomson and Hamish Menzies in fine form despite the black glasses. All ajourn for soup and sandwiches in local hotels and a final dram. There's nothing so forlorn as a town the day the Mod finishes - a few hangers on not wanting to go home and tartan bunnets and other more unmentionable items strewing the streets. Oban has done the Mod proud, the weather’s been even better, and we survived! Roll on Perth 2004, only 51 weeks to go - we've got our accomodation sorted already!
 

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