The Oban Times understands that Mr McCann decided to step down during the meeting after a report from auditors gave Lochaber Hydrotherapy Limited a clean bill of health.

Mr McCann, aged 76, renowned for his direct style of management, will remain a board member.

New man at the helm is John Foley, 63, from Drumnadrochit, who is well known in Lochaber as the former owner of the Bunroy Holiday Park at Roy Bridge.

Mr Foley paid tribute to Mr McCann - and moved to scotch rumours that he left under a cloud.

Mr Foley said: ‘There was no pressure on him to go, it was a natural evolution in the way of things. It would be unreasonable to say that everything was sweetness and light. We all had our differences now and again, but overall the amount of effort he put into it was superhuman.

‘The original estimate for the pool was £200,000 15 years ago, but in the end we had to raise £700,000. Every year we thought we were getting somewhere, a new estimate came up.

‘We have called him ‘Mr Hydrotherapy’ in Lochaber, and I think that just about sums it up.

‘For a man of 76 to still be clocking it in is remarkable.

‘I really think he’s done the right thing in the sense that if he wants to enjoy himself, this is the way to do it. I think that he realises that running the pool was not the same as his badgering people for money.

‘He’ll still be a board member and we hope that he can relax a bit, get his strength back and see things going from strength to strength.

‘He’s done an awful lot of hard work, you just can’t underestimate the amount of work that’s been done by him to get this thing off the ground.

‘The amount of letter writing he and Shirley Senn did was colossal. Lesser mortals would have given up years ago. He has been in this from the beginning – it was his dream.

‘We have until February to sort out everything, when we expect the building to be handed over and it should be snag free by then.’

Mr Foley said new initiatives included additional heating, currently being installed, to even out temperatures. He said there would be ‘something happening’ in Caol, which was ‘under wraps at the moment’.

Mr Foley said it was hoped to invite Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel to perform the official opening ceremony, when a gap in his diary engagements allowed.

Mr McCann was unavailable for comment as The Oban Times went to press.

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