By Anthony Osborne

​We all owe Gar a huge thank you for organising, herding, marshalling and leading us through some of the most fantastic scenery in the British Isles. It is to be driven again, in the other direction, in 2025. Are you going to join us?

By Anthony Osborne

Having checked out of the Spayside Hotel, already full of a generous Scottish breakfast, we were loading up the cars when we noticed we had an addition to the convoy. Eric Dalton had joined us again, having last met us at the museum in Glasgow. It was great to see him again, and his Rover 200 VdP in the car park.
In convoy we set off for our trip over the Cairngorms to Falkirk via Balmoral and the Royal Lochnager Distillery outlet there.
Due to roadworks closing one of the roads we were to drive down there was a slight diversion that added some 21 miles to the route! We arrived at a car park opposite Crathie Church, the church that the Royal Family use when at the Castle. The attraction for the brief visit to the car park was the facilities that were provided, which almost all of us visited for a comfort break (is that too much information?). A short drive and we were at the distillery outlet. We were amazed at the number of whiskeys that were available there, and the cost of some of the rarer ones (I would have had to take out a mortgage to buy many of them!).  ​

​Once again the scenery was fantastic, even if it was spoiled by the ski lifts that crossed the area (we hope that they have good snow in the winter to attract visitors to the area).

By Anthony Osborne

​Not far from the lifeboat was an oil industry service catamaran and Ian and I had an interesting conversation with an enthusiastic young crew member, a maintenance engineer, who appeared to be making himself rich serving on it.

​Gus then advised that when he checked in he was told of a Whiskey Tasting that was taking place at 6:00pm. The Osbornes signed up for that as well which meant that we had less than 15 minutes to get our cases up to our room and present ourselves in the Conservatory. The tasting was most interesting with four different local whiskeys presented to us. We were amazed how the flavours changed with just a drop of water from a pipette added. Sometimes this improved the flavour whilst in others the taste was not so good. Remarkably, an improvement tasted by some was not appreciated by others. By the time we had emptied our samples of whiskey it was time for dinner and the rest of the party were ordering from the menu in the dining room. Another well-presented meal was enjoyed expanding waistlines further. The beer was good again as well.

By Anthony Osborne.

Having been disappointed with the evening meal at the Arch Inn I was pleased to find that breakfast was up to the standards that we had been enjoying. I didn’t spot any croissants!
We set off for the loch Broom Filling Station where copious litres of E5 petrol were taken on board the convoy, replenishing the tanks after the previous day’s run.
We had a brief stop at Loch Kirkaig to admire the view and stretch the legs. An Aston Martin coming the other way stopped and I had a chat with the occupants comparing notes as they were driving the NC500 in the anti-clockwise direction. ​

​After some bracing fresh air, we were off again through some more fantastic scenery, both at sea level and in the hills and mountains, on substantial roads and on single track lanes between stone walls. The driving was certainly fun again although it did require a lot of concentration at times.

​Whilst we were enjoying cake Henry managed to get a new driver, although he struggled to reach the pedals with any of his four feet so gave the car back to Gus.

Anyway, after refreshment alongside the magnificent bridge we hit the road again with just a further 125 miles to go!
As we headed up to Durness, which was about as far North as we could go on the West Coast, before turning East the roads varied from single carriageway with street lighting to narrow single track with passing places. The scenery remained fantastic.  ​

​At Durness we took a left turn down a lane to the Balnakeil Craft Village where we had a look around in damp, dull and windy conditions. The Meet and Eat Café served excellent coffee and cakes which many of us enjoyed, taking over much of the café in the process. We also visited a craft shop and the Coco Mountain outlet there as well. Refreshed we returned to the road on our journey across the North of Scotland in an Easterly direction. For most of us the next stop was the Sea View Hotel at John O’Groats.

​However, for the last four days Betty had been towing Henry’s trailer because Gus was concerned about a knocking noise which was believed to be coming from the front UJ on the prop shaft. Gus had put an appeal out on the Group Facebook area for assistance and Vincent from Turso responded offering garage accommodation and he even obtained an UJ for the job. The plan was for Henry and his trailer to be left with Vincent overnight with Gar bringing Gus on to the hotel. The following morning Gar would take Gus back to sort Henry out. Thus Gus and Gar ventured into Thurso whilst the rest of us headed on to the Seaview Hotel in the rain.

​On our left, to the North, suddenly looming out of the gloom was a large spherical building with many other buildings around it. Of course, this was the former Dounreay Nuclear Power Station. The plant was opened in 1955 and three reactors – the Dounreay fast reactor, prototype fast reactor and the Dounreay materials test reactor – were built over the next 20 years. It was fully shut down in 1994, but a massive and complex clean-up operation remains ongoing.

​We all safely arrived at the Seaview Hotel in torrential rain, most of us being soaked as we took our cases into the hotel to check in, Gar and Gus catching up with us a little later. Some of the team took a walk down to the Visitor Centre, in the dark, to see the John O’Groats sign post there. On their return we all congregated at a large table that had been reserved for us in the restaurant, a similar sized group of cyclists occupying another large table. The beer and food were good as well as the excellent company.
After somewhere in the region of 185 miles during the day it is probably fair to say that a good night’s sleep was had by all!

To be continued ...

By Anthony Osborne.

Having left Skye over the bridge to the mainland our first call, to satisfy the wishes of Fat Controller, Gar, was to Eilean Donan Castle on its own island in Loch Duich.  ​

Passing places were visited often to allow traffic coming in the other direction to pass. Near the top of the pass we encountered a series of hairpin bends and then the road levelled out with a car parking area at the highest point of the road, the Bealach Na Ba (Pass of the Cattle) view point.  ​

It was a little cool outside the cars but some brave souls braved it in their ‘T’ Shirts! It was a magnificent view point but lacked any amenities, just a level area with a Triangulation Point at one edge.  ​

To be continued ...

By Anthony Osborne.

​Black Five number 45407, built for the LMS by Armstrong Whitworth in 1937 pulled the Jacobean, consisting of a rake of seven maroon BR Mk1 Coaches, across the viaduct creating an impressive scene with the driver opening the throttle creating a cloud of exhaust (steam) as the train accelerated away from Glenfinnan to continue its onward journey to Mallaig.
Our little convoy left the Glenfinnan car park and, like the Jacobean, also headed up towards Mallaig where, as we approached, we could see the Jacobean simmering at the station. We drove round the harbour of this small fishing village to the other side of the bay, dodging tourists who seemed to be hell bent on being run over irrespective of how slowly we drove, where we found parking space for us all and an excellent view of vessels entering or leaving their moorings. Someone found that there were public loos adjacent to a car park opposite the railway station and those in need investigated the service provided. It was a bit disconcerting to discover that you could only enter by swiping your contactless card from which 40p was extracted! I dread to think what happened to anyone without a credit or bank card in their wallet! With our check-in time approaching we retraced our steps to the harbour and joined the queue for embarkation on the ferry, ‘Loch Fyne’ to Armadale on the Isle of Skye.

We were not allowed to check in until 4:30 pm so we enjoyed a natter on the small jetty whilst we waited for Reception to open.  ​

​This was a lovely hotel with excellent food and beer. It was also our most expensive hotel of the tour. One aging waitress was most entertaining with her negative attitude to the diners, she was lovely!
However, wherever we were young Brian always seemed to have a problem. At the Hotel Eileen Iarmain he was unable to stand by the four poster bed without walking sideways there was that little room between the bed and the wall. At least it was on the ground floor this time!

To be continued ...

By Anthony Osborne

​Whilst we enjoyed our lunch break some kayakers came ashore and soon disappeared with their boats on car roofs. They appeared to have enjoyed a brisque paddle on the loch.

Having crossed Lock Etive we again proceeded up the coast with the next superstructure being the Ballachulish Bridge which was of a similar construction to the Connel Bridge, this time over the entrance to Loch Leven from Loch Linnhe.  ​

To be continued ...

By Anthony Angus Osborne.

After filling ourselves with breakfast at the Gables Hotel we set off in a convoy of six cars for the first time. The first requirement was petrol, E5 preferably as the cars were not designed to run on ethanol, and this was found not far from the hotel.  ​

​We then ventured further into Scotland with our next destination being the River Clyde at Glasgow. Here we were to visit the Riverside Museum.

​The displays were remarkable with cars on shelves just like some of my Dinky Toys were in my youth!

​Gar and Brian were walking along admiring the cars when one asked the other if Eric Dalton, an active member living near Edinburgh, had ever been to this museum. They looked up and much to their amazement he was walking towards them! It was great to catch up with Eric and Fiona, his wife, even if they had come over in their modern Ford.
Having had some time to look at the various trains, ships and cars it was time for a tea or coffee and then back to the cars. In the car park we said our goodbyes to Eric and Fiona and headed out of the Glasgow conurbation, northwards into the hills.
Driving up the side of a rather large valley we were suddenly brought to a halt by a set of traffic lights, miles from anywhere. They were controlling traffic round some road works but it almost felt as if we were back in Birmingham as we had to wait that long! The lights went to green and we continued up the valley finding a lay-by where we parked for a comfort break, several of the local trees being well watered! There were many cars coming and going in the lay-by but one seemed to attract more attention than most. They were completing a sponsored charity run of the NC500 in a car costing less than £500. I hope that they succeeded without losing any of their Little Tyke cars!

​Our destination for the night was the Cairndow Stagecoach Inn on the banks of Loch Fyne.
Off the main road and down a narrow lane we arrived to be welcomed at the hotel where we checked in and the more energetic members of the group went for a walk to examine the local church. The preacher looked very familiar!

After a lovely meal and the odd drop of a suitable alcohol we retired to our beds, the second of our holiday.

To be continued ...

By Anthony Osborne

​Gar is very relieved when Betty, his trans Ford Mondeo, actually passed its MOT with only two advisories after some extensive surgery and with less than 24 hours to go to departure!.

​Garry Brooks (Gus) left home in South Yorkshire in his J C Midge, ‘Henry’ but as there isn’t room for a toothbrush in Henry he was towing a trailer with all sorts in it, including his toothbrush! Pat and Anthony Osborne set off from Worcestershire in Pat’s black MGB GT, ‘Bill’, Ian and Sarah Woodward departed from Leicestershire in Ian’s white Granada Estate and Gar Cole set off from the outskirts of Birmingham in his very early trans Ford Mondeo, formerly known as ‘Barry’ but now answering to the name ‘Betty’, all heading northwards. Donnington Services was the rendezvous location for the ‘Leader of the pack‘ Cole, the Woodwards and the Osbornes who then headed across country to the M6. It would appear that everyone, other than John and Kevin, had an uneventful journey meeting up at the Gables Hotel in Gretna Green.

​​In the car park the two MGB GTs had parked either side of a Triumph TR6, the owner of that feeling a little disappointed that he was so outnumbered!

​Outside the Hotel there were other interesting cars including a Porsche and a Bristol 412.

​Our holiday had begun at last.

To be continued ...